


i'll stop the world and melt with you

by planetsuh



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:21:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24069529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/planetsuh/pseuds/planetsuh
Summary: Chanyeol wakes up the morning after he breaks off his engagement of four years to find two red strings of fate attached to his finger, pointing in opposite directions. While Chanyeol's mother always tells him that life has a funny way of working itself out, this cannot possibly be what she had in mind when she said it.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol, Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Park Chanyeol, Oh Sehun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 53
Kudos: 128





	1. prologue: moving forward using all my breath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this has been in my wip folder for MONTHS...time to dust off this baby and give it room to grow, so that i'll be forced to finally finish it.
> 
> title from "melt with you" by modern english

PROLOGUE: moving forward using all my breath

Chanyeol’s fingers hurts.

His heart is already broken—waking up the morning after the man that was supposed to be the love of his life walked out on him, chasing a red thread to the ends of the earth until he finds the love of _his_ life—and the throbbing pain in his pointer finger only adds to his misery.

The pain is intense, Chanyeol wakes up seriously concerned that there’s something wrong. After the intense night he had, it doesn't surprise him that it feels like his finger needs to be _removed_ in order for everything to feel better.

His throat clenches at the memory of last night. The look in Baekhyun’s eyes when he asked Chanyeol to sit down, the pain in his voice when he admitted that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about his string, about the faceless person on the other end of it. Chanyeol remembers the tears clouding his vision, watering down everything he saw at one point, and now he regrets not letting them fall, because he’d rather look like a fool in front of the man breaking up with him than not have a clear lasting image of what his face looked like the last time he saw him. 

“It’s not you, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun had said, his own eyes misty as he tried to get Chanyeol to look at him for longer than ten seconds. “I need to do this. For my peace of mind, to know for sure, I don’t really know. This person is supposed to be the one I’m _destined_ to be with, handpicked by the universe. I can’t ignore this call, you have to understand that.”

Chanyeol had kept his composure, keeping his gaze on his own hands, on the finger that didn’t have a red string attached to it. Chanyeol had woken up a month before to the sounds of Baekhyun aggressively vomiting and sobbing in their bathroom, and when Chanyeol finally got him to clam down enough to speak, Baekhyun had held up his left hand, and the string shone bright in the low bathroom light, stark red and a deep contrast to the silver engagement ring on his ring finger, ruining everything Chanyeol had built for the last five years.

“It doesn't matter,” Baekhyun had insisted then, snot and tears mixing on his face. He looked terrible, and Chanyeol’s heart sang at the sight. “I’m in love with you, Chanyeol. I don’t care that we’re not tied, I’m going to spend the rest of my life with _you_.”

And then a month later, completely changing his tune, Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol with so much heartbreak and sorrow that it took too much out of Chanyeol to look directly at him, needing to keep his focus on his hands, his stupid, untied hands.

What Chanyeol would give to be the one on the other side of Baekhyun’s string. He thought, through the entirety of their relationship, that the universe would see their bond, their special connection, and reward them, tying them together with the red strings of fate that so many people let dictate their lives.

Instead, the universe raised its middle finger and gave Baekhyun someone supposedly better suited for him. Better suited than Chanyeol? Unlikely.

“Fuck,” Chanyeol whimpers, letting the tears fall now that he’s alone, laying in a bed far too big for his body alone, freezing to death under the covers without Baekhyun’s warm body keeping him nice and toasty. “ _Shit_.”

His bed’s too big and too cold, his heart is too empty and broken, his head is too full and hurts so bad, as crying himself to sleep had given him the biggest headache he’s ever had. 

But his fingers hurt.

Chanyeol looks down at his hand and wishes he hadn’t. It feels like a cosmic joke, like the universe saw Chanyeol’s most intense heartbreak pan out in real time on the big screen, laughing about it and sharing a bucket of popcorn with fate. The same fate that decided that what Chanyeol needs is not one, but _two_ soul strings attached to his finger.

It explains why his fingers hurt as bad as they do. Soul string don’t typically cause such intense, throbbing aches. According to what Chanyeol has read, at the very least.

But this. _This._ Two soul strings, both bright red and glaring under the morning light shining in through the window, pointed in opposite directions. Is this a joke? Is this a test? Is this an either/or situation or is Chanyeol just monumentally, extraordinarily fucked?

Baekhyun is the love of his life, the man Chanyeol knows he’s fated to be with, soulmates be damned. He and Baekhyun are meant for each other, even if Baekhyun thinks differently. Chanyeol’s half-empty apartment is testament to that.

But two soulmates? _Two_? Chanyeol’s never even _heard_ of someone having two soulmates. And if he had, he would've also heard that it’s uncommon. _Unnatural_ , even. How can a person be fated to be with two people at the same time? Is he supposed to choose? But then, what happens if he makes the wrong choice, and the person at the other end of his string also has another string that leads them to who they’re _actually_ meant to be with. What if the connection Chanyeol has to these two people is also a test for _them_? Chanyeol’s never heard of it before, but he's also never heard of a person with two soul strings.

Fuck, he is so fucked.

“I’m not doing this,” Chanyeol mutters to himself. “I can’t. I won’t. This isn’t happening. _No_ , that’s my final answer. Absolutely not.”

Chanyeol’s been heartbroken before. His first boyfriend was straight out of boot camp before he started his job as a firefighter at the station that would later become his home away from home. His boyfriend claimed that the gaps in their relationship was too hard, and that Chanyeol working on a four on three off weekly schedule wasn't good enough for him. He packed up while Chanyeol was on shift, without a word, and Chanyeol returned to their shared shoebox to find that his first love had disappeared without a trace.

His second and third boyfriends both, at some point during the relationship, alluded to Chanyeol quitting, that being with a man so willing to put himself in danger was damaging their psyches. Honestly, after the second relationship was done, the third relationship was like a sever case of deja vu. Had the two conspired to give him the same speech, breaking up with him in the same way?

And then came Baekhyun, who seemed to understand how much Chanyeol loves his job, how happy he is to be helping people and saving lives every time he goes to work, never mind the fact that he lives in a fire station more than he lives in his own home. He was a nurse after all, he worked in similar conditions, being on-call for forty-eight hours straight and resulting to sleeping in hallways on gurneys that weren't covered in blood. Baekhyun said that he loved how passionate Chanyeol was, that he loved how much Chanyeol was willing to sacrifice for the good of the people, and that he would wait for him at home with a nice, warm meal when Chanyeol’s shifts ended, no questions asked.

But now Baekhyun is gone too, not because of his job, but because of the damned red strings, that seem to know everything, yet don’t protect people from heartbreak. If they did, Chanyeol would've never had to deal with Boyfriends 1, 2, and 3, and he never would've even gotten involved with Baekhyun in the first place. If the red strings did anything to protect Chanyeol, he wouldn't end up with two of them attached to him.

So no, he isn't going to do anything about the strings. What makes these two people any different from the other four he's been with? How does he know they won’t feel the same about his job? What if they try to make him quit too?

He can’t risk it, so he ignores the strings, ignores the aches he feels in his fingers when one they tug so hard it feels like his finger might fall off.

It’s for the best. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this story is nowhere near finished. in fact, as of right now, the prologue is the only completed section of the story. however, i have it almost entirely outlined. i'm working on an nct au right now, and until i finish the next part to that, this au will be taking a backseat. however, once i crank out the next part to that au, my focus will be split between them. i want to be consistently writing and outlining for both of these stories, so this one won't end up being abandoned or something. this prologue serves to give everyone a taste of the story, kind of like a place holder until i can get more out there. for now, i would say it would be accurate to say this story is on hold.
> 
> that's not to say that you shouldn't comment, leave kudos or bookmark this story if you guys want to. in fact, i would recommend bookmarking this story if you're at all interested. my next update probably won't be for a couple of weeks, but it won't be an eternity! this is gearing up to be a LONG story, i'm talking chapters with tens of thousands of words, and my other au is looking to be that way as well. those kinds of stories take a long time to write, so be patient with me is all i'll say on that.
> 
> otherwise, you guys can follow me on twitter @ suhyeols if you wanna laugh at some dark humor and make sure to leave a comment if you want with your thoughts on the concept so far :)) also, i have a couple completed stories, including an nct au based on the netflix show elite and a sebaek/teen dad sehun story that might interest you guys
> 
> i'll see you guys in a few weeks!


	2. two: trapped in a state of imaginary grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's july, and i'm back! i'm SO excited for this next part. so much of my outline and plans have changed since i last visited this, and i'm really looking forward to moving forward with my new plans.
> 
> enjoy!!

part two: trapped in a state of imaginary grace

The strings pull on Chanyeol’s finger, causing near constant aches and painful pulses throbbing at his fingertip. Chanyeol ignores it all, suiting up for work and taking the quick bus ride to the fire station. He holds back a sharp wince when his finger wants to tug him in a different direction, pointing towards the city’s central hospital. Maybe one of his soulmates is terminally ill. If that’s the case, then, eventually, one of his strings will fade into a light grey, and then it’ll be one less problem for Chanyeol to deal with.

At the station, Chanyeol allows himself to go through the motions, ignoring the very significant looks that he receives from several of his co-workers. He knows he looks a mess—he couldn't be bothered to tame his hair, so it’s curling wildly off of his head, he has dark circles under his eyes, from the exhaustion and the stress, and he’s heartbroken. Chanyeol’s always been very easy to read. Baekhyun loved it, but Chanyeol absolutely hates his transparency.

“So…” says Heechul, one of the only people in Chanyeol’s unit who doesn't make him feel inferior for how much younger he is than the bulk of them, “I didn’t wanna pry, but I can’t help but notice that you’re acting…different.”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol sighs, setting down the frying pan he was holding and letting the food sizzle on the stove. “Baekhyun dumped me yesterday.”

Heechul’s face ranges from surprise, to intense shock, to anxious, and then finally to a resounding sympathetic look that Chanyeol can only bear to look at for a few seconds before he turns his eyes back towards the stove to watch the food. “God, Chan,” Heechul says, “that sucks. I’m really, really sorry.”

“I’m fine,” Chanyeol lies, unblinking as he observes the stir fry.

“Sure,” Heechul concedes easily. It brings relief to Chanyeol, knowing that Heechul won’t drag anything out longer than necessary. Chanyeol can count on him to understand when things have been talked out enough, and it’s clear that Heechul knows how much Chanyeol doesn't want to talk about Baekhyun.

Chanyeol turns the dial back on the stove, switching off the heat for the burner he's using and lifting the giant pan, carefully walking it over to the dining table, where two of the other men in Chanyeol’s unit seem to be salivating at the mouth. Chanyeol can’t help the grin that makes its way onto his face, still eager to be the reason his unit is so well-fed, happy to be able to contribute in this way.

“Dinner’s ready!” Chanyeol exclaims, setting down the pan of stir fry in the middle of the table.

Heechul sits down as Siwon and Donghae eagerly claim bowls, grabbing the spatula still in the pan and scooping as much stir fry as possible into both of their bowls. They each leave enough for Chanyeol and Heechul to have sizable portions, but not enough for anyone else in the station to come sniffing around for a bite to eat.

“I’m fucking starving,” Siwon groans, quickly fanning the steaming stir fry with one hand, his other hand too busy drumming out a beat against the table. “That call at the elementary school wore me out.”

Chanyeol nods his agreement as Heechul dives into a litany of complaining. Some idiotic little fucker pulled the fire alarm at his school, causing Chanyeol’s station to be called all the way out there, only to find that there was absolutely nothing wrong. Then, just as his unit starts packing away all of their supplies, a teacher comes running from the other side of the school, claiming a fire has started in the culinary classroom. Chanyeol’s unit was there for hours, putting out the fire that spread faster than any of them thought possible, and spending another hour trying to calm down the adults that were supposed to be keeping the children calm.

What elementary school even _has_ a culinary classroom anyways?

“I hate kids,” Donghae says gloomily, slurping up stir fry immediately afterwards. He chews thoughtfully. “Always starting shit for no reason, pulling fire alarms and then _actually_ starting fires because there stupid, tiny ass little brains can’t comprehend that ovens need to be _turned off_ when you leave the room.”

“It’s not all on the kids though,” Siwon, ever the pragmatic, replies. “At some point, the teacher needs to be like, ‘Okay, the fire alarm’s going off, I’m in a classroom full of ovens. Maybe I should tell the kids to turn their ovens off before we leave. That might be a smart thing to do.’”

Heechul grumbles. “Adults are just as fucking dumb. I hate everyone.”

Chanyeol can agree to that.

The four finish their meal in silence, the crunch of their bites filling the gaps of noise in the room. Not long after that, sirens blare throughout the station, and Donghae nearly drops the plates he’s holding from being startled. Chanyeol’s unit gets assigned to the call, a standard fire call to a an elderly living facility about ten minutes into the heart of the city. 

When they arrive, the building is in shambles. Several of the facility’s employees, wearing bright pink scrubs and looking completely ridiculous, have corralled many of the patients in an area of the parking lot far away from the flames and smoke, doing their best to keep everyone calm. There are wheelchairs and crutches everywhere, and Siwon has to squint his eyes to make sure he parks the truck somewhere that won’t get in the way of the debris all over the parking lot.

“Alright,” Leeteuk, in charge of Chanyeol’s unit, starts, face pinched up in severity. “I’ll run point on the far-range hoses, and I’m sending five bodies inside to look for bodies. You all know the protocol?”

Everyone nods. This is a very familiar dance for them.

“Good.” Then everyone disperses, gathering equipment for some and taking their places for others.

The game plan is simple: Chanyeol, alongside five others from his unit, suit up with oxygen tanks and masks that cover the bulk of their faces, weighing in at about thirty pounds worth of equipment. From outside, Leeteuk and a team of men will man the hoses, spraying the building from the outside to try and quell the flames from afar. If that doesn't work, another team will head inside and try and contain the flames from the inside out as best they can.

If all else fails, they wait. They let the building burn itself to shreds and make sure no civilians are in the immediate vicinity when it finally collapses in on itself.

They all head inside the building and comb through whatever they can, their full-bodies gear protecting their skin from being burnt as they, quite literally, walk through fire. The five separate, each taking a separate wing of the first floor and working their way up, six floors in total. 

Chanyeol notices that most of his part of the first floor is administrative offices, check-in areas and supply closets, meaning there are no civilians loitering around. When he confirms that his section has been entirely evacuated, he moves up a floor, where the first batch of patient rooms he encounters are. Once again, there aren't any civilians—employees, visitors or patients—and Chanyeol moves up once again, informing the others through the walkie-talkie resting on his shoulder. 

The third floor is where the heat starts to seep through his clothes. Chanyeol’s skin feels like it’s molding into his gear, his under-layer of clothes sticking to him from sweat. 

He encounters his first civilian here, a young employee whose leg appears to be broken. She’s sitting in the corner of the first hallway Chanyeol chooses to turn down, clutching at her thigh and whimpering from the pain. The flames are licking up the walls of the hallway, and they look like they’re about to swallow her whole. Chanyeol rushes over, crouching in front of her and assessing her further. Her skin is starting to bubble slightly, most likely from the waves of heat and not the actual flames themselves.

“Is it just your leg that’s injured?” Chanyeol asks.

The woman nods. “I’m so stupid. I was looking for Mrs. Yun’s special blanket on the top shelf of her storage cabinet and I fell. At least someone had already come to get her before she realized, so no one was watching me crawl across the floor to try and make it to the stairs.”

“I’m gonna carry you out of here, okay?” Chanyeol confirms, gently removing the woman’s hands from her thigh. “You’ll get triaged once you’re out of here. There are ambulances on the way already.”

“Okay,” the woman replies, voice wobbly.

Chanyeol lifts the woman around her waist, unceremoniously placing her on one shoulder with one arm wrapped around her. He uses his free hand to call it into the main communication line on his walkie.

“I have an injured civilian with me,” he says matter-of-factly into the walkie. “Her leg is broken. I’m bringing her down with me.” He’s at the stairs and about to start walking down when he gets back a crackly “okay” from the other side of the line. 

The woman, for her part, stays nearly silent the entire walk down, only whining once or twice when Chanyeol accidentally jostles her too much while stepping down. Opening the doors to the facility and allowing the woman to breathe fresh, smoke-free air brings relief to Chanyeol. As expected, several ambulances are parked around the entrance of the facility, EMTs waiting as standby. Chanyeol heads over to the first empty rig he sees.

“I’ve got a broken leg and obvious smoke inhalation,” Chanyeol announces, and now that he’s out of the fire, he can hear how muffled his words sound in the mask. He sets the woman down once the EMT brings out a gurney, laying her out as gently as possible. Once both of his hands are free, he removes his mask, turning the vial on his oxygen tank to stop the flow so it isn't wasted outside once he goes back inside. “I didn't assess for internal injuries, but she says she broke her leg falling, so look out for blunt force trauma.”

“Got it,” the EMT responds, immediately beginning an inspection of the woman, kindly asking her to lift her top. Chanyeol takes that as an opportunity to take his leave.

Chanyeol heads back into the building, heading straight up to the fourth floor after a voice from the walkie confirms that his section of the third floor has been searched and found clear. Smoke is billowing around him in thick clouds at this point, making it hard for Chanyeol to see anything past his protective eye gear aside from large, vague shapes. Everything is looming around his peripheral vision and causing his eyes to sting. It’s hard to hear as well, the fire making it very hard to make out walls and hallways, but Chanyeol pushes through, his instincts from training and situational awareness kicking in. It’s strange, but he swears he can feel two distinct tugs from his finger, motivating him to push on and keep himself safe, almost as if his soulmate connections are what’s keeping him together.

He shakes off the thought—it just isn't possible. There’s no evidence out there to support that kind of claim, and even if there was, Chanyeol’s never met either of his soulmates. It would be insane to think that two strangers were keeping him alive in this high pressure situation. 

Chanyeol can hear the crackle of his walkie talkie on his shoulder, but he can also tell the heat is getting to the system, wearing it down and keeping it from properly transmitting his team’s words. He wouldn't be able to hear theme regardless, the roar of the fire is overpowering any other noise, and he can hear random objects in rooms he passes crack and break from the pressure of the fire.

Even in his heightened emotional state, Chanyeol can tell the building is quickly becoming a lost cause. Bile swells in his throat, and he fights to swallow it down, praying that his team got to these floors quick enough to evacuate any lingering patients and staff. He knows he can’t save everybody, but the thought of leaving anyone behind, especially in a nursing home, leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Still, pushing on would be suicide, and no matter how much he may hate his situation, there’s nothing in him that says he wants to die. He needs to get out as quickly as possible, which is probably what a team member was trying to tell him over his radio, if only it were working.

Just as he's about to turn around and head back, Chanyeol hears a creak followed by a slam a couple rooms down. He stalls, thinking for a second that it’s just another piece of furniture cracking under the pressure of the fire and collapsing, but then he hears a weak yell, just loud enough for his trained ears to pick up.

“ _Please help!_ ” he hears. “ _Somebody, anybody, please!_ ”

Instincts kicking into overdrive, Chanyeol tries to calm the roaring blood pumping in his ears as his adrenaline sets in. He takes off down the hallway, thankful for his fireproof suit as waves of fire scoop up the walls and spit at him, trying to burn him and nearly succeeding. Three doors down, he stops, squinting his eyes and looking through the bedroom, smoky haze almost too intense to make anything out clearly. Fire has ravaged every piece of furniture in the room, swallowing it whole and claiming it as its own. Chanyeol fears if he doesn't locate the voice soon, he’ll eventually stumble upon a charred up corpse.

“Hello?!” he bellows into the room, leaving no room to chance that the person will be able to hear a voice at normal volume. He’s potentially dealing with an elderly patient, and that comes with hearing loss. “Is someone in here?!”

“ _Yes!_ ” Chanyeol hears at the far end of the room. “ _In the bathroom!_ ”

_“Shit_ ,” Chanyeol mumbles to himself. “Alright, I’m coming to you! Stay where you are! Do not move!”

He dives into the room, stepping over burning chair legs and a completely collapsed dresser, drawers spread out over the floor, the contents already ablaze. The door to the bathroom is on the far side of the room from the entrance door, and the walk over to it is a hike. The voice sounded frail, so Chanyeol is expecting a patient to be behind those doors, and he hopes he has the strength to be able to make the hike back with a person who, for all he knows, may not be able to stand or walk on their own.

Finally getting to the bathroom door, Chanyeol pries it open, sighing in relief when he sees an elderly woman slumped against the bathtub, nightgown up over her nose and mouth to try and avoid smoke inhalation. From what Chanyeol can see, she doesn't appear to have any burns yet, the fire not yet breaking through the bathroom door, but she’ll definitely need medical treatment, having sat in this room alone for God knows how long just inhaling smoke. Chanyeol’s seen far too many people appear fine after a fire, only to die later from smoke inhalation. 

“Ma’am, are you injured?” Chanyeol asks, bending down to crouch at the knees and to assess the patient better.

She shakes her head. “No, though my hips do hurt a good bit from sitting down on this hard floor for so long. My caretaker…she left the room to look for a wheelchair for me…she hasn't come back.”

Chanyeol’s heart sinks. “Which way did she go?”

The woman holds out a frail, shaky hand, pointing down the hallway in the direction that Chanyeol’s been walking towards, the direction where the fire is at its worst. “She headed that way. I heard a lot of crashes so I made my way to the bathroom to try and take cover…have you seen her? Oh please, she has a baby, please tell me you've seen her!”

“Ma’am,” Chanyeol says thickly, knowing the odds of finding this patient’s caretaker are slim to none, unless what he finds is a skeleton that’s been burned to a crisp. “I need to get you out of here as fast as possible. Once we get this fire under control, we can come back in and do a recovery, but if your caretakers isn't already outside, there’s no way for me to come back and look for her that doesn't endanger me and anyone from my team that may join me.”

“Oh!” the woman starts crying, clutching at Chanyeol’s heavy work jacket, nimble fingers shaking against the thick fabric. “Oh _no_!”

Chanyeol swallows around the lump in his throat. “I am so sorry, ma’am,” he says as delicately as possible. “But please, let me save you.”

It’s a process, looping the woman’s thin arm around his broad shoulders, lifting her from the floor and hooking his arm under her knees so that she isn't touching the ground. Chanyeol shoulders the bathroom door back open and curses when he realizes the entire bedroom is ablaze, walls on the brink of collapse. In fact, he probably has minutes before the upper floors of the building give out and he and this patent fall through the floors to their deaths.

He manages though, taking the brunt of the flames and doing his best to protect the woman with his body. It’s slightly irritating how concerned she is with her modesty—Chanyeol really can’t afford to keep stopping to allow her to adjust her nightgown so it falls below her knees—but he accommodates her as best as he can, not wanting her to get overwhelmed and upset before he can safely get her into an ambulance. 

Making it to the stairs causes Chanyeol’s heart to soar, but he cringes when the woman cries out in discomfort and pain with every step down Chanyeol takes, his quick movements causing him to jostle her around far more than she's probably used to in her old age. He hopes that nothing he does causes permanent damage to her joints, but Chanyeol can only pray for the best at this point—anything else is futile and a time waster.

When Chanyeol breaks through the entrance doors to the facility, he breathes a sigh of relief as the woman can finally remove her nightgown from her nose and mouth and breathe in fresher air. She’s coughing heavily, but before Chanyeol can regret not offering her his air mask, a horde of paramedics approach Chanyeol, removing the woman from his arms and placing her on a gurney, hooking her up to an oxygen mask and inserting an IV before Chanyeol can give a report on her nonexistent injuries. How the woman managed to scrape by without any burns is beyond him, but he can’t help but feel a sense of victory at the thought.

“We didn't think you were gonna make it out,” Heechul admits, appearing next to Chanyeol seemingly out of nowhere. “It looks like the upper floors are gonna collapse at any minute. We’ve moved back our trucks and equipment, but there wasn't gonna be anything we could do for you.”

Chanyeol nods. He knows the protocol. “No one else is in there, right? No one from our team?”

“Nah,” Heechul shakes his head, “Leeteuk sent out a message calling everyone back out. I guess you didn't hear it.” He sends a significant look Chanyeol’s way, but Chanyeol ignores it, steadfastly fighting the blush rising on his cheeks.

“My radio cut out somewhere around the fourth floor. It’s a deadline up there, the fire ate away all my communication.”

Heechul nods, accepting the answer. “Still, we’re lucky. No burn damage or smoke inhalation on our side of things. PD is satisfied with our quick response. There are a lot more survivors than everyone thought there were gonna be, so it’s less paperwork for the higher-ups. Paramedics have been quick too, so there’s not gonna be any liability on that side. Leeteuk’s satisfied. It’s been a good morning, I guess.”

“I guess,” Chanyeol repeats, somewhat in a daze. He can’t help but think about the poor old woman’s dead caretaker, and the baby she apparently has at home. Today doesn't feel like a good day.

The rest of his shift passes with nothing as extreme as the fire at the care facility. Three days worth of car accidents and minor house fires that are easy to put out, but unfortunately leave a lot of room for Chanyeol to sit around and think about his two red strings. He pushes the thoughts away as best he can and focuses on the people around him, refusing to answer any questions about his wellbeing, too afraid that he’ll spill his situation to the next person that asks too nicely.

His rest days couldn't have come fast enough. Walking through the door of his apartment has Chanyeol slumping with relief against the wall once he gets the door closed behind him. He’ll have three days of relaxation, three days to sit around in the cool air of his apartment and not have to worry about high stakes or the pressure of a fire. Three days with no distractions…

“Fuck,” Chanyeol mumbles to himself, looking around at his barren wasteland of an apartment.

This apartment used to be so loud, so joyous. Baekhyun’s presence would fill the apartment from wall to wall, leaving no room for loneliness or boredom. Now, Chanyeol can feel the empty space around him. It feels like it’s stretching on for eternity, the walls growing farther and farther away from him the longer he stares. The more he thinks about it, the smaller he feels. Chanyeol’s a huge person, with long limbs and a broad, muscled frame that usually takes up a lot of room in an open area like this, but with no one to share it with, Chanyeol can't help but feel like he's the smallest person in the world.

Sitting around on the couch for three days reminds Chanyeol that he doesn't have any friends. They were either people he knew through Baekhyun or people he lost along the way with his complicated work schedule. He spends four days out of every week living in the fire station, he doesn't have the time to keep up a constant line of communication with any friends he may or may not have. Casual friendships aren't a thing in his line of work, and they never will be. It was hard enough maintaining a relationship with Baekhyun, and even then, that didn't turn out well at all.

The realization that the only two connections Chanyeol has left, outside of his immediate family anyway, are the two strings tied around his finger, has his heart beating too fast for comfort. His brain feels like it’s running a mile a minute, and he can’t seem to slow it down. Watching trashy reality shows doesn't even do it for him. He doesn't have the luxury of distraction anymore. He has no friends, no acquaintances, no fiancé. He’s entirely alone.

Except for the strings.

He welcomes the return of his biggest distraction when his three rest days are up and he reports back for duty at the fire station, a spring in his step that he knows looks ridiculous for how large he is. His shift consists of the same old, kitchen fires that residents are too afraid to or can’t put out on their own. The only close call is a multiple vehicle collision wherein one of the cars explodes. Thankfully, Chanyeol’s team arrives to the scene early enough for there to not be any lasting damage to any of the victims. He _does_ hear the driver of the car that exploded and subsequently caught fire crying about her lack of insurance, but that isn't anything he and his team can fix.

His shift ends quickly, and Chanyeol drags his feet heading out of the fire station. The ride back to his apartment is short, and Chanyeol wishes, not for the first time, that he didn't have to live in the heart of the city. It’s a great location for his job, but it isn't where he really wants to live. He looks out the window towards where he knows the coast is, too many miles away from his job to justify the move, but his dream location. 

Chanyeol gets off the bus, hanging his head and stomping over to the entrance of his apartment. His feet feel like they’ve been tied down by weights, but he keeps feeling an incessant tug at his finger. He looks down at his finger, and notices one red string is pulled taut, most likely the cause of the tugging sensation he feels. He looks up from the string, and his heart drops into his stomach.

There’s a man wandering around the front of his apartment complex, periodically stopping in front of the door, all the while looking down at his finger in confusion. He can feel his heart kick into gear and start to beat faster when he sees two strings hanging off of the man’s finger. Chanyeol watches in slow motion as the man follows his string with his eyes, ultimately landing on Chanyeol. 

The man’s eyes widen, his mouth forming a small ‘o’ shape. Chanyeol looks over his shoulder, futilely checking to see if there’s someone behind him that the man is actually staring at, but when he looks forward again, the man is walking in a beeline straight towards him, and Chanyeol knows who his string is really attached to.

_I’m not ready for this_ , Chanyeol thinks. _This isn't what I want. I can’t do this today._

“Hi,” the man says quietly, landing right in front of Chanyeol. Their feet are aligned perfectly with each other, toes pointing directly at the other’s. It’s insignificant, but Chanyeol still notices. “I-I don’t know what to say, actually.”

Chanyeol gulps. “Me neither.” He hopes his voice doesn't sound too gravelly. Baekhyun told him all the time that his nervous voice sounded a lot like he was turned on. _That_ mixup would make this situation so much more uncomfortable than it already is.

“Well, u-um, I’m Sehun,” the man offers Chanyeol a small smile, and he hates himself for immediately thinking about how pretty and pink his lips are. “Oh Sehun. What’s your name?”

“Park Chanyeol,” he introduces himself, holding out his right hand like his mother always taught him to do when greeting strangers.

Sehun looks down at his outstretched hand, then looks at his left hand, a wry smile forming on his face. Eventually, he takes Chanyeol’s hand in his, shaking it gently, and Chanyeol gasps when he feels a sure tug between their left hands, their string tightening happily at the first sign of physical contact.

The idea of soulmates strings being an entity with a physical presence in a soulmate relationship scares Chanyeol. He’s read all about strings finding creative ways to bring two soulmates together, and he's obviously experiencing it now, as Sehun’s string clearly brought him to stand right in front of Chanyeol’s apartment complex. But seeing it in action, watching the string contract and loosen between the two and feeling the almost content aura the string gives off is disarming. Inanimate objects shouldn't _feel_ things, even if they are strings that connect two people cosmically destined to be together.

“So…” Sehun trails off, looking around awkwardly. There are people milling about on the sidewalk around them, quite a few of them watching Sehun and Chanyeol with a mix of frustration and understanding. Chanyeol knows they can all see the string tying them together, but he also knows that they probably see the additional string that points in a completely different direction than either Sehun or Chanyeol. Chanyeol hopes that these random passerby realize that both Sehun and Chanyeol have a string that does that, and that they’re both pointing in the _same_ direction, and that they don't think that only one of them has a second soulmate—another option—if things go awry between the two of them.

Chanyeol clears his throat. “Do you…wanna come up to my apartment with me?”

Sehun’s eyes widen. “O-o. Really?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol smiles tightly, wanting desperately to get off the street and out of the view of the general public. “We can talk privately. I don't know about you, but I’m not a fan of having an audience.”

“Oh!” Sehun brightens up considerably, and Chanyeol realizes that Sehun probably thought he had ill intentions by inviting him up. Anything Chanyeol can do to prove he _isn't_ a sleaze is something he’ll do in a heartbeat. “Okay, that’s fine with me then. I’m…not a fan of having an audience either, to be honest.”

Chanyeol nods. “Great.”

Leading Sehun through the door of his apartment complex and towards the elevators is fine enough, but the long elevator ride up to his floor is so indescribably awkward that Chanyeol can hardly stand it. Sehun fixes his gaze on the ground, probably sensing how uncomfortable the energy between them is, and Chanyeol can’t help but take the time to study Sehun’s features closely without seeming like a creep. Sehun is, quite frankly, one of the most beautiful people Chanyeol’s ever seen. His face has nearly perfect proportions, with nice, thick eyebrows and a perfectly sloped nose, down to his defined cheekbones and plush, pink lips. His jawline looks as if it could cut glass, and Chanyeol nearly dies on the spot when he sees tiny freckles dotting Sehun’s cheeks and nose. His black hair and closely cropped to his head, minimally styled to fall on his forehead casually, and Chanyeol hates that his standard for attraction has completely shifted after taking a second look at Sehun.

He thought he would never meet anyone as gorgeous as Baekhyun. Sehun knocks him out of the park by a mile.

That’s not to say that Baekhyun is ugly or that Chanyeol doesn't think he's attractive anymore. A very large part of him is still in love with Baekhyun—he was _engaged_ to the man for fuck’s sake, but Sehun’s close proximity to him has completely shifted his worldview. Sehun is nearly as tall as Chanyeol, a huge difference from the little bean sprout of a person Baekhyun was in comparison to Chanyeol’s tall stature, and Chanyeol hopes that their third soulmates isn't nearly as attractive or as tall as Sehun, or else he feels he’ll have a very large problem on his hands.

The elevator doors open and Chanyeol leads him down the hall, fumbling with his keys and pretending that he doesn't notice as Sehun’s eyes trail over his face, just as his did in the elevator. Even though meeting Sehun was the last thing Chanyeol wanted to do today, he hopes Sehun isn't _too_ disappointed upon seeing him for the first time. Chanyeol knows he isn't necessarily an ugly guy, but he definitely doesn't compare to the supermodel level Sehun appears to be operating on. 

“This is me,” Chanyeol announces lamely as he pushes his apartment door open. 

Sehun steps inside, hesitantly looking around, and Chanyeol cringes, completely understanding why. His apartment looks terrible, as it should, more than half of the stuff that used to fill it is gone, and leftover is all of the crap that Chanyeol swore he’d get rid of eventually but never did, or stuff that Baekhyun apparently didn't want to keep enough, so he left it behind for Chanyeol to deal with. Chanyeol’s been letting his apartment rot essentially, and he blushes fiercely when he realizes there’s a growing stack of dirty dishes in the sink as well as a pile of takeout containers in the trashcan by the door.

“It’s…nice,” Sehun remarks amicably. Chanyeol curses his heart for racing at how nice Sehun is being. He doesn't need to be making an effort at all—Sehun looks like the son of a God and Chanyeol is a tall mess of a person living in a barely organized pigsty. There’s a lot that Sehun could be saying that he isn’t, and Chanyeol realizes that.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol runs a hand through his hair, cringing when he feels the sweat and grease caked into his curls. What he _really_ needs is a nice, long shower and a decent ten hours of sleep, not to be showing off his skeleton-like apartment to one of his soulmates. “I had a roommate that moved out pretty recently. I haven't really had the time to settle back into things just yet.”

Sehun nods. “I understand that. I basically live in a hut on the beach. I’m not exactly the cleanest person around.”

“You live on the beach?” Chanyeol perks up. Sehun does as well, realizing that Chanyeol’s tone is full of interest. “Where, the east coast?”

“Yeah!” Sehun responds cheerfully. Chanyeol can feel the string tugging happily, and he feels his own heart beating with content as they make good conversation for the first time, a natural instinct after showing signs of getting along with your soulmate. “It was about a forty minute bus ride here. My strings have been bothering me a lot lately, I guess both of you live in the city? I figured I should follow them and see which one of you I end up meeting first, if anything so that I can get rid of this ache in my finger.”

“I’ve been feeling that too,” and everything is starting to make sense. Sehun lives outside of the city, probably much farther than their strings are happy with, and as a result, they’ve been pulling tighter and tighter, trying to influence either Sehun or Chanyeol or… _whoever_ is on the other end of their second strings to move closer to each other, to find each other faster.

Sehun smiles at that, much more genuine. It nearly knocks the breath out of Chanyeol, watching Sehun’s eyes crinkle up and nearly disappear, watching as the apples of his cheeks bulge out. Chanyeol has a pretty nice smile—it’s honestly the nicest part about him—but his doesn't compare to Sehun’s at all.

“How old are you?” he blurts out, not really knowing what else to say.

“I’m twenty-four,” Sehun answers. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Silence falls between them, not necessarily awkward at all, but silence nonetheless. Chanyeol and Sehun don't look at each other, and Chanyeol tries to think of something else to say. Sehun clearly isn't one for small talk, and while Chanyeol can relate, it makes getting to know each other that much more difficult.

“So what do you do?” Chanyeol asks, breaking the silence between them. “To get to live on the coast, I mean. My job keeps me here, in the city, but it’s my dream to live on the beach.”

Sehun’s pale skin flushes a pretty pink at Chanyeol’s question, and Chanyeol realizes that he’s probably shy under Chanyeol’s attention. _Jesus Christ, this guy is too fucking adorable for me. What did I do to deserve this?_ Chanyeol thinks.

“Um, I’m a professional surfer,” Sehun answers, voice far too quiet and far too shy for Chanyeol’s liking. “I’m not, like, really _that_ good, but I do a lot of competitions, and I work in a surf shop full-time, so I make ends meet.”

“Wow,” Chanyeol knows his rapidly growing fascination and admiration of Sehun is a response that derives from the string that attaches the two of them together, but hearing Sehun talk about himself still sends a warmth through him that he can’t really explain. Such is the effect of meeting your soulmate for the first time, one of them anyways. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to surf. I love the beach, but I never get to go.”

“Maybe I can teach you sometime,” Sehun tries, a little more bolder than his earlier words. Chanyeol’s heart quivers at the spark in Sehun’s eyes.

“I would love that,” Chanyeol finds himself saying in response.

Sehun blinks, and then his eyes are back to normal. “What about you?” he asks. “What kind of work keeps you from having your dream beach house?”

“Oh,” and now it’s Chanyeol’s turn to blush, “I’m a firefighter.”

“No way!” Sehun’s eyes are wide, mouth open in shock. “You’re not serious!”

Chanyeol laughs warily, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “No, I am, really. I work for the city’s fire department. It’s a really well-paying job, and living on the coast would just be too much of a commute for me.”

“I can’t believe it!” Sehun exclaims. “A _firefighter_! My soulmate is a _firefighter_?”

“Hey! My soulmate is a really cool surfer dude that lives on the beach and gets to live out my biggest fantasy!” Chanyeol jokes.

Sehun busts out into the cutest fit of giggles Chanyeol’s ever heard, and he has to take a second to take a breather. Overall, Sehun is just too adorable for Chanyeol to take in large doses, that’s what he’s learning from this. He knows the bond of the string is doing a lot of the work here, and that once Sehun leaves, he’ll somewhat snap out of this feeling, but for as long as Sehun stays inside of his apartment, his infatuation with his soulmate only grows bigger and bigger. It fills his apartment, making it feel so much less empty. It’s exactly what he needed.

“I was gonna order takeout,” Chanyeol says next, “I just got off a four day shift, and I’m starving.”

“Oh,” Sehun responds softly, smile dimming slightly.

Chanyeol hesitates. “…You’re welcome to stay, if you want. I wouldn't mind ordering some food for you. We can eat and…talk, get to know each other more.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Sehun shakes his head, “I need to get going. It’s a long way back into beach town, and I have to get to bed early. There’s supposed to be this really nice swell tomorrow morning. I can’t afford to miss it.”

“Oh,” it’s Chanyeol’s turn to feel like a fool.

Sehun bites his lip. Chanyeol tries not to stare as he does it. “Can I get your number? I’m…I’m really looking forward to getting to know you, Chanyeol.”

“Um, sure,” Chanyeol fiddles around with his pockets before finally retrieving his phone, holding it up for Sehun to see like it’s some kind of prize. “Here, put your number in.” 

They exchange numbers, Chanyeol feeling like he's accomplished something once Sehun pockets his phone again, a small smile on his face. He sees Sehun out, with the promise of talking to each other again soon, and when he closes the door again, Sehun on the other side, he can practically feel the large, goofy smile on his face, making his cheeks hurt from the force of it. He would've never thought that he’d be meeting one of the people attached to his strings, and while he hadn't had high hopes, he couldn't have asked for someone better than Sehun.

Chanyeol orders food, showers and falls asleep feeling warm with a belly full of food, a demure smile on his face. And when he wakes up, he has a text from Sehun, a picture of the sunrise from the beach, Sehun’s sandy toes poking out from the bottom of the picture.

***

Chanyeol notices, as he goes about his next few days off, that his other string, the one not attached to Sehun, has grown more and more taut as time passes, becoming almost too painful for Chanyeol to take sometimes. He’s gotten into the habit of walking around the apartment, tricking the string into thinking he's gone off looking for his other soulmate for awhile, before it catches on and pulls even tighter, causing his finger—and slowly, the rest of his hand—to throb painfully.

He texts Sehun, wondering if the same is happening to him, and the resounding _yes_ sends Chanyeol into a spiral of confusion and uncertainty.

Because while meeting Sehun has been great—the two texting often now throughout the day, Sehun continuing on in a one-sided conversation while Chanyeol’s on-shift, not seeming to mind at all that he's not always there to immediately answer him—he isn't sure he's ready to meet his so-called second soulmate. He’s still not even sure it’s possible for him to have two soulmates. Isn’t one enough? Isn’t the fact that he and Sehun met first indicative that they might be _more_ meant for each other than Sehun and Chanyeol are to the person at the end of their other string?

Since meeting Sehun, the string connecting he and Sehun has become somewhat dormant, apparently satisfied now that have Sehun and Chanyeol have interacted in person and are now in frequent contact with each other nearly everyday. But as he and Sehun’s string gets calmer, his other string only begins to hurt worse. Sehun tells Chanyeol that his feels the same, and Chanyeol can’t help but imagine what kind of pain their third soulmate must be feeling, with two strings pulled horrendously tight around his finger.

At the end of a particularly uneventful shift, Chanyeol texts Sehun that he's gotten off work. The other responds with a cute smiley face emoji, saying that he’ll be leaving soon just as Chanyeol boards the bus back home to his apartment. They’re meeting up for drinks. Just the two of them. And Chanyeol knows that Sehun, at the very least, has dressed up, if the full-body selfie of him in a nice pair of skinny jeans and a floral print collared shirt is any indication.

Chanyeol has just enough time to get home, shower and change into something equally as nice—his only pair of jeans that don't have rips all up and down the thighs and knees, and a forest green polo that he tucks in. He even styles his hair, using product to keep his curls from getting too wild, letting them fall gracefully on top of his head instead of curling up and off in weird, untamable directions.

“Oh,” Sehun flushes when he sees Chanyeol walking up to him, “you look really, really nice.”

“Thanks,” Chanyeol grins, looking Sehun up and down and making sure Sehun notices. “You do too.”

Sehun’s cheeks are bright red, and Chanyeol can’t deny there’s a part of him that loves making Sehun blush like this. It’s a feeling Chanyeol hasn't felt in awhile, not since he was first dating Baekhyun, and to get it back means a lot to him.

They enter the bar together, Chanyeol pulling a stool closer to Sehun’s than necessary, but it makes Sehun blink rapidly and blush once again, so Chanyeol counts it as a victory. They sit, they drink, they talk, and they absolutely do _not_ bring up their other string.

It’s almost like an unspoken pact, to pretend like the other string isn't there, like there isn't a third person wandering around the city that’s supposedly meant to be with the two of them. It’s easier, Chanyeol thinks, to act like he and Sehun are the only two in this equation. It’s much less complicated this way and it settles his stomach to know that he’s found the _one_ person he's meant to be with.

Apparently, Sehun can only take so much of that before he cracks.

“Do you ever think about…the other one?” Sehun asks quietly once his cheeks are flushed pink from booze rather than Chanyeol’s words and actions, eyes slightly glazed as a sign that he's tipsy. “Like, the other person on our strings?”

“I don’t know,” Chanyeol lies, “do you?”

Sehun nods, his head bobbing dangerously. “I think about them all the time. I can’t help it. It’s like my body and my string know that I need them too. As much as I need you.”

Chanyeol blushes at Sehun’s casual declaration, but he doesn't let himself get deterred. “Why do you think you need them? Aren't we fine just the two of us?”

Sehun frowns. “Maybe.”

“Why did your strings bring you to me first?” Chanyeol asks. “You said one day you just couldn't take it, so you went out looking for us. Why do you think I’m the one you found first?”

“I don’t know,” Sehun’s frown deepens, and Chanyeol panics when he hears his voice start to wobble. “The pull I felt from your string was just stronger. Maybe you wanted to meet us more than our other person does? Or maybe our connection is just deeper than it is with our other one, I don’t know! All I know is that the string made me get off the bus right in front of you apartment and stand there for twenty minutes until you walked up. Does that mean something?”

Chanyeol blinks. “Probably,” he has no idea. “Possibly.” Although truthfully, Chanyeol can’t imagine a scenario where their third soulmate would want to meet them less than Chanyeol did. It was literally the last thing Chanyeol wanted to do, and even now that he's met Sehun, he has very little interest in meeting the person at the end of their other string.

“I’m just saying,” Sehun slurs, blinking rapidly against the wave of drowsiness the alcohol has placed over him. “There’s a reason we both have two strings. This person…they’re probably in a lot of pain, and maybe they _don’t_ want to meet us, but I would like to think that they’re… _waiting_. For us. For themselves. I don’t know.”

“I don’t know either,” Chanyeol says quietly. “Do you regret that your strings brought you to me first?”

Sehun looks at him with wide, expressive eyes, dancing with shock and sadness that Chanyeol would even ask the question. Chanyeol recognizes that they’re both probably far too tipsy to be having a conversation like this, but he feels this sort of domino effect around Sehun. Once he’s started, it’s like he can’t stop. He just keeps asking and asking, and Sehun keeps answering and answering. Giving and taking and giving and taking over and over and over again, like a loop. Chanyeol loves how their connection is settling in, loves that their communication is already so open and honest, not leaving anything to chance, but this isn't the kind of conversation he thought he was going to have with Sehun when he agreed to meet him for drinks after his shift. He’s tired, he’s slightly irritable, but Sehun’s too pretty to resist.

“Of course I don't regret it,” Sehun replies firmly, voice finally unwavering after being all over the place earlier. “Do you?”

Chanyeol swallows, finding himself leaning closer to Sehun. His heartbeat ca only increase when he realizes Sehun’s doing the same. “Not a chance,” he breathes out, then he leans all the way in.

Their lips meet, and Chanyeol only thinks for a small moment that this might be moving too fast. Their string says otherwise, Chanyeol can feel it thrumming happily between he and Sehun, nearly vibrating in its happiness at the way this evening turned out. Chanyeol can feel and hear Sehun’s quiet little whines that he lets out against Chanyeol’s lips. He can probably feel their string too, and even in his slightly inebriated state, he enjoys the feeling, just as Chanyeol does.

As they kiss, Chanyeol starts to understand the appeal of the string. It might have a mind of its own or it might not—it could simply be an extension of he and Sehun’s consciousnesses, emoting in ways the two might be too shy to do. Either way, Chanyeol likes how it feels, to kiss Sehun and to have their string go wild with pleasure at the thought of the two of them physically connecting like this. It only brings he and Sehun that much closer.

Chanyeol’s always been wary of how fast soulmates seem to fall in love after they meet for the first time. It’s been described as a tidal wave, and Chanyeol himself has watched it happen with other people. Sure, he didn't watch Baekhyun fall in love with the person at the other end of his string, but he watched him sit and around and mope, mourning for the connection he could have been having with someone else. He watched it happen to his older sister Yoora, after meeting the man at the end of her red string, and how quickly after that she declared herself in love. At the time, Chanyeol had been nineteen and had scoffed at the thought of falling in love that quickly, but now, sitting with Sehun and kissing him, Chanyeol can’t help but think that maybe it _is_ that easy to fall in love. He can picture it with Sehun, and while the thought is terrifying, it isn't one he necessarily wants to move away from. He's not welcoming it with open arms, but should it happen to him, he doesn't think he’ll run away as fast as he might have two weeks ago when they first met.

Sehun reaches up to cup Chanyeol’s cheek with his fingers, opening his mouth and breaching Chanyeol’s lips with his tongue, and that’s when Chanyeol realizes that they’re still in public, still in full view of a very large crowd of people. On a busy night like this, he doesn't think the general public is paying much attention to he and Sehun, but he knows how much they both hate an audience. 

He breaks away reluctantly, his heart singing at the disappointed whine Sehun lets out when they’re both fully seated back on their own stools. Chanyeol swishes around his drink, watching it creep up the sides of his glass and threaten to spill over the rim, never actually doing so. He thinks of their other soulmate, and what it might be like to have them in their lives, and he swallows down the thought with a large swig from his drink.

He gets Sehun in a cab headed for beach town, then walks the short distance to his own apartment, already replaying the kiss over and over again in his mind. It’s honestly dangerous, to Chanyeol at least, how quickly Sehun has come to dominate his thoughts in the way that he has. He’s never felt this way about _anyone_ , not even Baekhyun, and that thought terrifies him. Baekhyun was supposed to be the love of his life, at least he was when Chanyeol got engaged to him, but meeting and spending time with Sehun has changed everything. He isn't ready for how much meeting their third person will change things too.

Chanyeol falls asleep easily, but not without dreams. He dreams of he and Sehun and a third, unidentified person. He thinks they may be a man, from their build alone, but he can’t be too sure, so he doesn't dwell on it. He sees he and Sehun and their third lying on the beach, wrapped up in towels and each other, leaving sweet, salty kisses on each other’s cheeks, lips, throats, shoulders. He sees the three watching the sunset, chasing each other on the soft sand, cuddling together on the couch in Chanyeol’s apartment while a scary movie plays in the background. It feels like a premonition, like something Chanyeol can’t ignore, and when he wakes, he feels like he's realized something, something significant.

He opens his eyes and his phone is ringing, blaring loudly on the pillow by Chanyeol’s head. He reaches out for it, pressing the green button and holding the phone to his ear, grumbling out a low “hello?” and listening as the person on the other side of the line sucks in a breath at the noise.

“Chanyeol,” it’s Sehun, his soft voice wafting over Chanyeol pleasantly. 

“Hey, Sehun,” Chanyeol says, finding himself smiling goofily just by hearing his soulmate’s voice. What a sap he's become in such a short amount of time.

He hears Sehun shuffle around some more, and if he listens even closer, he can hear the sound of seagulls and waves crashing in the background. Sehun must live _right there_ on the beach, and when Chanyeol closes his eyes, he pictures himself there, in his dream beach house, listening to the ocean and smelling the salt in the air.

“What’s up?” Chanyeol asks after Sehun hasn't said anything for awhile. He knows he hasn't called for no reason. In the short time that he and Sehun have been talking, he's learned quickly that Sehun doesn't talk just to talk. He hates phone calls, much preferring texting over anything else, so this must be important in some way.

“I…” Sehun trails off, and he hears him sigh deeply.

Chanyeol has a feeling he knows what this is about. “Sehun?” he prompts patiently, rolling onto his back and sitting up, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand.

“I want to find our other person,” Sehun admits quietly, almost like a whisper, and just as if he was sitting right next to him, Chanyeol shivers, imagining Sehun’s breath on his ear.

Chanyeol closes his eyes, listens to his heart pound in his chest, and remembers his dreams.

“Okay,” he replies, “let’s do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> coming up: sechan meet their other half, kim junmyeon <3
> 
> leave a comment with your thoughts if you want. i'm not entirely sure when the next part will be up, but i can't imagine it'll be as long of a wait as it was between this and the prologue.
> 
> i'll see you guys soon!
> 
> EDIT: i made a new twitter account that's focused on my ao3 account, it's planetsuh, with a capital i instead of an l


	3. three: and it's getting better all the time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im back!!!! with an update!!! finally!!!!!!

part three: and it's getting better all the time

Chanyeol’s next shift passes in a daze. He spends four days chasing cats up trees, putting out barbecues gone wrong and hosing down a group of teenagers that accidentally caught on fire during a chemistry lab at school. When he gets off, he can’t leave fast enough, his leg shaking as a sign of anxiety the entire bus ride back to his apartment. 

He can’t help but feel anxious though, he’s meeting up with Sehun.

He showers, changes and grooms himself to his best liking, walking outside his apartment complex and joining Sehun where he stands nervously at the edge of the sidewalk, watching passing traffic while chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully.

“This isn’t how I thought this would go,” Sehun mutters, more to himself than to Chanyeol but he hears it anyway. “I didn't think I would have to hunt you both down. I thought we would all three meet coincidentally, like some perfect romantic comedy that’s always playing on Hallmark.”

It’s not how Chanyeol thought he would meeting his second soulmate either—not that the idea of even having a second soulmate has quite sank in yet. “Me neither,” he says instead, keeping it light and simple so as to not stress Sehun out even further. Their string has pulled itself taut from both of their distress, and while the discomfort is nothing compared to the throbbing pain coming from his second string, it’s enough for Chanyeol to notice.

In all honesty, after his night of dreams and his call with Sehun, Chanyeol is ready, now more than ever, to hunt down their final match. What he has with Sehun is short and it’s growing, but it’s the closest thing to perfect that Chanyeol’s ever had. If the universe thinks another person is destined to fit into that mold, then Chanyeol should be welcoming it.

Still, he can’t but be apprehensive. This third person can and will change everything about he and Sehun’s dynamic, which is pretty perfect as it is. For all Chanyeol knows, adding their third soulmate into the picture will only serve to fuck everything up. For all Chanyeol knows, introducing their third will ruin everything. 

He tries his best to remain optimistic, for Sehun and himself, but it’s difficult. There’s so much on the line, it’s hard not to think about it in that way. He and Sehun are new, but he’s not quite sure he wants to burst that bubble and change everything just yet.

Sehun, on the other hand, is completely ready to meet their third, to end this throbbing pain between all of them, and Chanyeol finds that he can’t refuse him. Sehun’s wants are already starting to trample all over Chanyeol’s, and while that thought should be terrifying, Chanyeol welcomes it instead. It only means that their bond is becoming stronger, working better than Chanyeol could ever imagine it would. If he were to tell himself three weeks ago that this is where he would be, there’s no way he would have believed it. Meeting Sehun has undoubtedly changed his worldview already, and if Sehun’s excited to meet their third, Chanyeol can’t help but be as well.

They take off, following the instinctual pull of their strings. Their strings seem to realize their intention, and they twist together eagerly. Chanyeol still feels weird realizing that his _strings_ are excited, but he pushes down the feeling as he follows its pull, leading him down a very familiar route.

Chanyeol’s heart lodges itself in his throat as he realizes where the strings are taking them. Sehun whines in distress, looking up at the building in front of them and probably thinking the worst. And while Chanyeol is thinking that too, there’s a very large part of him that’s thinking of something else.

Their strings have taken them to a hospital. The very same hospital that Baekhyun works at.

Chanyeol was always proud of the fact that he was dating an ER nurse, just as he thought Baekhyun was proud of dating a firefighter. The two of them, saving lives all day long and coming home to each other with stories full of blood and survival. They both do so much good for the world, and sharing each other on top of that was always an amazing feeling for Chanyeol. 

To stand in front of this place, not as Baekhyun’s fiancé, but just as a random bystander wandering around and looking for his soulmate, with his _other soulmate_ by his side, leaves Chanyeol feeling nauseous.

“Oh no,” Sehun sounds like he’s about to cry, causing Chanyeol to snap out of his personal pity party. “What if they’re sick? Or hurt? What if we went looking for them too late?”

Chanyeol grabs Sehun’s hand, squeezing it tightly in his. “We can’t think like that,” Chanyeol says calmly, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin of Sehun’s knuckles. “We have to be optimistic. Maybe they work here.”

A pang of hurt hits Chanyeol at the thought of one of his soulmates being Baekhyun’s co-worker. He isn't sure if he can do this.

“You’re right,” Sehun sounds much more determined now. He straightens his spine and looks over at Chanyeol with a face shining with optimism. “They probably just work here. Who knows, maybe they're a doctor?” Chanyeol doesn't know how he does it.

“Exactly,” he says, wincing at how weak he sounds. There’s no way Sehun doesn't notice, but he must choose not to say anything, looking forward at the hospital with his jaw set and other hand curled into a fist.

“I’m ready,” Sehun announces, looking down at their strings. “Are you?”

Chanyeol watches their strings too. They twine together, confusing Chanyeol. He isn't sure which string belongs to who at some point, but they both point towards the hospital, their aim straight and true. Whoever their third is, they're behind the doors of the emergency room. Ultimately, whether Baekhyun is working today or not, whether he’ll have to face his ex-fiancee long before he’s ready to, Chanyeol _wants_ to walk through the doors. He _wants_ to find his second soulmate, the soulmate he shares with Sehun. His life is moving on with or without him, he might as well let himself go along for the ride.

“I’m ready too,” Chanyeol replies with certainty, “let’s go.”

For all the medical dramas and horror stories Chanyeol’s consumed from television and Baekhyun, the ER is extremely calm. He and Sehun walk in with no issue. There are a few people sitting in a small waiting area, but none seem to be gravely injured. The ambulance bay is completely empty, save for a few stragglers wandering around the open space. Sehun looks around diligently, his eyes cutting back to his string every few seconds to try and figure out where their next move is. Chanyeol hovers behind him, eyes alert and focused as his gaze trails around the ER, trying to spot Baekhyun. He isn't sure which one he wants more—to see him or for him to not be there at all.

“Excuse me?” a voice cuts into Chanyeol’s concentration and startles him. He jumps, looking over at the man standing next to he and Sehun, mint green scrubs on and an open, friendly look in his eyes. “Is there something I can help you with? Do you need assistance or are you looking for someone?”

“We’re looking for someone,” Sehun answers before Chanyeol can, his voice kind of blurting out. “The two of us are tied, but our third string brought us here.”

Chanyeol glares at the back of Sehun’s head as the ER nurse slowly looks down at their hands, seeing their string gleaming under the fluorescents, before seeing both of their second strings pointing somewhere vaguely in the direction of the other side of the ER.

“Oh,” the nurse replies, sounding gobsmacked. Chanyeol wants to melt into the floor. “Um, okay. I’ll…leave you to it then.”

“Thank you,” Sehun preens, turning away from the nurse entirely and focusing his attention back on his string.

Chanyeol, for all intents and purposes, could _die_ in this moment and he doesn't think he would have anything to complain about. Having two strings is bad enough, but blurting it out to the first stranger that asks is essentially asking to become a social pariah. Three-way soulmates are _not_ common—in fact, in some cultures, they’re taboo, a blasphemous version of the universe’s precious creation that shouldn’t, under any circumstances, be broadcasted for everyone to know about. Chanyeol knows there are others out there like he, Sehun and their third, or else there wouldn't be anything for the taboo, but that doesn't mean he's comfortable with Sehun blabbing about their unidentified third soulmate whenever he feels like it. Sehun’s casual acceptance of their situation has always thrown Chanyeol off, but this crosses a line.

“Hey, Sehun,” Chanyeol mumbles. Sehun vaguely twitches in his direction, and Chanyeol takes that as an acknowledgement. “Can we, maybe, _not_ go around telling everyone about our third?”

“Hm?” Sehun looks over his shoulder briefly, like Chanyeol is a pesky mosquito that won't go away.

Chanyeol huffs. “I don’t want to go around telling random strangers about our business. Two strings aren’t exactly normal. It made me really uncomfortable when you told that nurse about our third. It’s weird.”

“You think we’re weird?” Chanyeol has Sehun’s full attention now, though this doesn't seem to necessarily be a good thing. His eyebrows are drawn together, confusion and frustration written plain as day on his face. Chanyeol, at least, has the good grace to feel guilty about upsetting him.

“No, I’m not saying that,” Chanyeol says through his teeth, “I just…can we keep this as private as possible, please? For now? This isn't something I’m ready to announce to the world. Can you respect that?”

Sehun’s face softens. “Okay,” he replies quietly, graciously. “I can do that. I’m sorry, I didn't know it would make you this upset. I didn’t mean to.”

“I know,” Chanyeol sighs, acquiescing. He’s very quickly realizing that _staying_ mad at Sehun isn't necessarily something he's going to be very good at. He brings a hand up to cup Sehun’s face. “I’m sorry if keeping it private is going to upset you, but it’s just how I feel.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Sehun smiles, all soft and sweet. He leans his head into Chanyeol’s palm. “Thank you for telling me. We already communicate so well. Maybe this soulmate thing is gonna work out after all.”

He’s teasing, but Chanyeol appreciates it. Sehun’s ability not to take everything so seriously is refreshing. He’s light and breezy when he wants to be, it’s something Chanyeol can get used to,

“Yeah,” he grins back, “we’re so mature already.”

Sehun snorts, pushing Chanyeol’s hand away, but a second later he laces their fingers together, squeezing his hand softly. Chanyeol squeezes back.

Chanyeol takes another quick look around the ER, still searching for Baekhyun. This time, Sehun notices.

“What are you looking for?” he asks, only curious and not accusing whatsoever. “Our string is pointing that way.”

“Oh,” Chanyeol gapes, stumped. Then, a realization. “I’m avoiding someone. It’s not a big deal.”

Sehun shrugs, then starts tugging on Chanyeol’s arm playfully. Chanyeol lets himself get lead around the ER, Sehun dutifully following their strings in desperate hope of finding their third alive and well and _not_ a dead or dying patient inside the hospital.

Eventually, he stops in front of a trauma room, and Chanyeol lets himself panic for a few seconds before he turns to Sehun, whose face has pinched up in worry, bottom lip between his teeth once again.

“Remember, this doesn't mean they’re hurt,” Chanyeol whispers, just as someone from inside the room lets out a blood curdling scream. Sehun winces, pressing up against Chanyeol’s side and hiding his face in his chest. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

The door to the room flies open, and a couple of people wearing scrubs dart out, both of them with bright red blood coating their soft blue scrubs. Sehun sniffles, watching as more people rush into the room, desperately peeking over heads and trying to see where their string lands before the door slams shut once again. Chanyeol holds Sehun tighter to him, hating how stressful this has become. If their third is the patient inside that room…he doesn't know _what_ he’ll do.

“Whoever our third is, they’re inside of that room,” Chanyeol continues on, hoping and praying that this doesn't end in disaster. “We need to stay strong, for whoever it is. Do you really wanna be a crying, blubbering mess the first time you meet them? Would you have been okay with being a crying, blubbering mess when you met me?”

“You wouldn't have cared,” Sehun mumbles pitifully, “you think I’m hot and amazing. I probably look even _better_ when I’m crying to you.”

Chanyeol takes a quick look at Sehun’s face and decides that his soulmate is absolutely right, but he doesn't say anything to him about that. “Shut up,” he says instead. “Listen, you need to pull it together. They’re probably not the person on the table in there. For all we know, they’re the person that mops the floors up whenever the doctors are done with them.”

“You’re right,” Sehun concedes, sagging against Chanyeol dramatically. “You win.”

“Thank you,” Chanyeol smiles, only hesitating for a moment before leaning down and pressing a light kiss to the top of Sehun’s head. Sehun burrows his face even further into Chanyeol’s shirt, their string glowing happily at the contact, and Chanyeol’s relieved. 

The door swings open again, and most of the personnel in the room clear out. Chanyeol watches as Sehun eyes everyone’s hands like a hawk, waiting for one of them to have two strings connecting back to them. After they’ve all nearly cleared out, the strings still point back inside the trauma room. 

Chanyeol looks inside.

There are two people left in the room, the patient, now stable and lying on the table breathing heavily, and a man wearing navy blue scrubs, checking the machinery surrounding the patient. Just before Chanyeol can look at their hands, the door swings shut once again.

“They’re inside,” Sehun whispers to himself.

Their strings pull tight then, tighter than they ever have, and Chanyeol nearly grunts with the pain that hits his finger. Sehun ushers Chanyeol into the trauma room, all but breaking the door down in his haste to get inside. The door shuts behind them, and both the patient and the doctor look at Sehun and Chanyeol with wide eyes.

The doctor has x-ray scans in his right hand, but he's shaking out his left, two red strings attached to the end of it.

“I’m Sehun,” Sehun breathes out, sounding as if he's in a daze, “this is Chanyeol. We’re your soulmates.”

***

Chanyeol sits in the uncomfortable hospital cafeteria chair and wonders if it’s too late to take everything back that he wants to.

Sehun sits beside him, practically vibrating with excitement in his own seat, while the doctor across from them looks like he’d, quite literally, rather be anywhere else in the world, including back in that trauma room with the guy bleeding out of giant, gaping hole in his chest.

Chanyeol has no idea what to do. He’s never been in such an uncomfortable situation in his entire life. Even in the initial stages of dating Baekhyun, Chanyeol was a smooth talker, able to feel out Baekhyun’s vibe and respond based on that. But this guy…this guy isn't giving Chanyeol anything to work with.

He hopes that doesn't mean what it probably means. Sehun still looks so excited, completely oblivious to this guy’s obvious disinterest and, more importantly, _discomfort_ with the entire situation. Chanyeol knows if the guy looks like he’d rather be anywhere else, then that’s actually the case. He can only hope the guy is kind enough to let Sehun down easy when this conversation goes south.

“So,” Sehun starts, nearly shocking Chanyeol out of his seat. “What’s your name?”

The guy shifts around, eyes doing a quick scan of the cafeteria, something Chanyeol’s seen him do five times since he sat down. Apparently, he's not the only one who doesn't want to be seen by certain people.

“I’m Kim Junmyeon,” the guy finally responds, sounding as if the words were forced out of him. Maybe they were.

“Junmyeon,” Sehun breathes, a dreamy look crossing over his face.

_Fuck_ , Chanyeol curses to himself. This isn't going to go well _at all_.

“What kind of doctor are you, Junmyeon?” Sehun asks, already sounding full of admiration and wonder. “We saw you save that man’s life.”

“Oh,” Junmyeon flushes. It’s really cute, but Chanyeol shouldn't be thinking about that, since he's probably about to reject the both of them and go about his day. “I’m a trauma surgeon. I…I don’t usually get cases that intense. I guess you caught me on a weird day.”

Sehun hums, in another world. Chanyeol can only imagine what the kid must be thinking.

“How old are you?” Chanyeol asks.

“I’m thirty-one,” Junmyeon replies. “Uh…what about you guys?”

_Oh_. He’s asking a question back, showing interest. Chanyeol supposes that could bode well for he and Sehun, but he doesn't let himself get his hopes up. “I’m twenty-seven, Sehun’s twenty-four.”

“Oh. Okay.” Junmyeon is so awkward.

“Well,” Chanyeol starts, “I guess we could—“

“I’m so _so_ happy,” Sehun interrupts, a giant, dazed smile on his face. “I never thought I would have this for myself. Everyone dreams of having a soulmate, but I get two! A firefighter and a doctor! I’m the luckiest man in the entire world!”

Junmyeon looks at Chanyeol, alarmed, and Chanyeol hopes Sehun can reel it back in within the next few minutes. Any headway he was starting to make with Junmyeon is very quickly being demolished by Sehun’s inability to keep his mushy thoughts and feelings to himself. While Chanyeol thinks it’s absolutely previous, Junmyeon isn't used to it, and is probably more freaked out than anything right now.

“You—“ Junmyeon _starts_ to say, but Sehun seems to be on a roll.

“I had never even _heard_ of having two soulmates before my strings showed up!” Sehun sighs wistfully. Chanyeol sinks down into his chair and wants for the floor to swallow him whole. “But it just means I get double the love! I’m so happy, I could scream.”

“Please don’t,” Chanyeol looks up from the floor and notices that Junmyeon has a pained look on his face. “And, listen…” he trails off, looking between Sehun and Chanyeol awkwardly. “I don’t…I just don’t know about all this.”

There’s a spark of confusion on Sehun’s face. “What?” he cocks his head to the side, waiting.

Chanyeol holds his breath.

“I _cannot_ deal with a red string right now,” Junmyeon blurts, cheeks reddening instantly. Chanyeol thinks it’s adorable, then curses himself for thinking so. “Let alone two. I’m not in a place in my life where I can just add two soulmates into the grand scheme of things. I’m not ready.”

Sehun’s face crumples. “But—“ he cuts himself off, eyebrows furrowing and eyes welling with unshed tears. “But haven't your strings been hurting you? We’ve both been hurting, Chanyeol and I. It’s how we knew we needed to find you.”

“I work thirty-six hour shifts on a regular basis,” Junmyeon replies awkwardly. “I’m used to ignoring any discomfort.”

“I don’t understand,” Sehun frowns, bottom lip wobbling threateningly. “How can you ignore when your finger starts to throb? It felt like my circulation was being cut off! How can you ignore the call of your soulmates?”

Junmyeon cringes. “I don’t really know what you want me to say—“

“That you even _care_ about your strings at all!” Sehun cries, far more shrill than Chanyeol’s ever heard him sound. “That you _wanted_ to find out who was on the other end of them, even just a little bit!”

“I think we should all just calm down a little bit,” Chanyeol says placatingly, more for Sehun’s sake than anything else. The poor kid looks like he’s about to burst into tears, and just after Chanyeol says the words, he starts sniffling, blinking pointedly to hold himself back. “Clearly we’re all on different pages. Why don’t each of us say how we’re feeling about our strings and go from there?”

This isn't right. Chanyeol isn't pragmatic—he’s impulsive, daring. He takes chances, pursues men and women he isn't tied to, has sex with them, forms relationships with them. He runs straight into blazing fires almost everyday without even a second glance. He’s not practical. He’s not patient. He doesn't know what he’s doing.

“Okay,” Sehun mumbles weakly. “Can I go first?”

Chanyeol can’t help but smile at how small Sehun sounds, reaching over and rubbing his arm in an attempt to be soothing. Junmyeon tracks the movement with calculated eyes, and Chanyeol can’t help but feel like their third is putting them under a microscope, analyzing them for whatever scientific purpose his doctor brain has come up with.

“I want the three of us to be together,” Sehun declares. “Growing up, whenever I pictured my string, I pictured the person on the other side as my soulmate, the person I’m destined to fall in love with. I pictured spending the rest of my life with that person, and that’s how I picture us. I know it’s fast, I know it’s unrealistic, but it’s how I feel. You guys are the people on the other ends of my strings, that has to count for something. I want to try this, whatever that entails. I want a relationship with both of you. I want to fall in love with both of you.”

_Wow_. Chanyeol can’t think of a single thing to say in response to Sehun’s words. By the looks of it, Junmyeon can’t either. They both stare at Sehun, who hasn't cracked under their eyes, but just looks back and forth between them, holding their gazes with something akin to confidence.

“What about you guys?” Sehun asks.

“Right,” Chanyeol clears his throat, leaning back in his seat. “I’ll be honest, the morning that our strings appeared—that was the worst morning of my life. My fiancé of four years had just broken off our engagement and left me the night before, because he decided he wanted to be with the person on the other end of _his_ string, so _my_ strings weren't exactly welcome.”

He can feel the weight of Sehun’s eyes on him. Junmyeon, for his part, looks all the right amounts of surprised and sympathetic, but Chanyeol can tell that Sehun isn't exactly pleased with him for keeping that from him for as long as he has. They haven't known each other long, but he can see why Sehun might see this as something that’s a need-to-know. 

“I couldn't get my head right about it,” Chanyeol continues. “I refused to look at my strings. I didn't talk to anybody about them. It wasn't until Sehun showed up at my apartment that I even considered the possibility of meeting you guys. I can say honestly that I’m glad I have, though. I need to move on from my ex, he's already moved well past me. And you guys are who I’m destined to be with, apparently, so I might as well make the best of it.”

Sehun sighs dreamily, leaning into Chanyeol ever-so-slightly. Chanyeol isn't sure what it was about what he just said that has Sehun wanting to drape himself across Chanyeol’s side, but he takes it.

Junmyeon looks constipated, eyes flitting between Chanyeol and Sehun too rapidly for Chanyeol to track. He leans back in his seat, ruffles up his hair, and Chanyeol watches as it falls perfectly back into place. Next to him, Sehun sighs again, meaning he saw it too. When Junmyeon crosses his hands behind his head, scrubs tightening around his frame as he does so, it takes everything in Chanyeol not to stare at the way Junmyeon’s biceps bulge up or the outline of what is clearly an eight pack appears underneath the fabric. According to Sehun’s weak, stuttered gasp, he doesn’t give Junmyeon the same courtesy.

“I’m really sorry you guys came all the way here,” Junmyeon says finally. Chanyeol feels something cold sinking in his gut, “I hope it wasn't too far of a drive, but I can’t do this. I didn't sign up for this whole soulmate thing and I definitely didn't sign up for _two_ red strings. What would people think? You both seem like really lovely guys. I hope you enjoy getting to know each other and falling in love, but it’s just not gonna work out with me.”

Chanyeol and Sehun stare, speechless. Of all the ways Chanyeol expected to be turned down today, he didn't expect Junmyeon to be so _nice_. It’s killing him, the fact that Junmyeon’s completely rejecting them and looking so sweet doing it.

“I’m really sorry,” Junmyeon says again and then he's getting up from the table and walking away from them, not sparing another glance back.

***

It’s as Chanyeol’s always heard—life goes on.

Junmyeon’s rejection stings, of course, but it isn't as if Chanyeol can fault him for it. Just days before, he was thinking the exact same things, validating his own negative thoughts by thinking of all the ways a relationship with a potential soulmate would never work, solely on the basis that he had just gotten out of a relationship. Junmyeon hadn't shared any personal details of _why_ he wasn't ready for soulmates, but Chanyeol trusts that there is a valid reason. He may need a long time, or he may never come around. Either way, Chanyeol can’t dwell on someone else’s feelings, especially when they’re completely out of his control.

Sehun doesn't take it nearly as well as Chanyeol does, and in the week that passes after finding Junmyeon, he’s withdrawn into himself, reaching out to Chanyeol less and less. There’s a fundamental shift in their dynamic, now that Chanyeol is the one sending out good morning texts and random updates throughout the day, while Sehun seems to contribute the bare minimum towards responding.

He doesn't want to think about what that might mean—Sehun’s increasing lack of interest towards their relationship, whatever it might be. Chanyeol’s content to keep sending updates until it becomes clear that it just isn't necessary anymore, though a very large and growing part of him hopes that that time never comes.

In the meantime, Chanyeol finishes cleaning out his apartment, packing up tiny little trinkets that Baekhyun left behind that he just doesn't feel like looking at everyday. It feels good, like a weight lifting off of his shoulders, and even though his apartment just feels that much more empty, at least he isn't being constantly reminded of his failures at every turn.

Chanyeol goes to work, and after a couple weeks of hiding his strings, he finds that he can’t anymore, going back to his annoying but endearing habits of drumming his fingertips across any available surface, which of course draws eyes and, in turn, many questions.

“Dude!” Heechul practically screeches in Chanyeol’s face once he gets his eyes on the glaring red strings attached to Chanyeol’s finger. “Since when have you had those?”

It attracts even more stares. Chanyeol goes back and forth between wanting to sink into the floor and wanting to just spill everything to his trustworthy co-workers. 

“I’ve had them for a couple weeks now,” Chanyeol chooses to say. “You know, with me and Baekhyun…I just wasn't ready to let everybody know yet.”

Heechul’s eyebrows wiggle comically. “But now you are?”

Chanyeol scoffs. “Hardly. It’s just gotten too annoying trying to hide them from everybody. I know there’s strings pointing every which way around here, but mine are just so hard to deal with. They’re even pointing in completely opposite directions.”

Donghae sits down beside Chanyeol, clapping a hand to his shoulder. “So. Soulmates, huh? You ready to tie yourself down like that?”

_No_ , Chanyeol thinks morbidly, _I was ready with Baekhyun. Not with these people._

“I was engaged to Baekhyun for four year, Donghae,” Chanyeol murmurs, betraying himself.

Heechul snickers while Donghae pouts. “Well listen,” he says, holding up his own left hand, wiggling his pointer finger liberally to show off the bright red string attached to his. “I still haven't even met this chick yet.”

Chanyeol and Donghae exchange looks that are a cross between alarmed and impressed. “You haven't met your soulmate yet?!” Donghae asks incredulously. “How long has that string been there?”

“Since last year,” Heechul shrugs, relaxing back into his chair like it’s nothing. “It’s not that big of a deal, guys. I’m just not interested yet.”

“But—“ Chanyeol cuts himself off, remembering how heartbroken he was when he saw his strings for the first time, remembering Junmyeon’s dismissal of their universal bond.

“My string hasn't tugged since I got it,” Heechul presses on, “not once. That means she’s not ready either, whoever she is. Do I wanna find her one day? Of course! Do I look forward to marrying her, having children, spending the rest of my life with her? Absolutely. Just…not right now.”

Chanyeol and Donghae let silence hang between them.

“You guys get it, right?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol sighs, “I wasn’t too happy when I saw these bad boys either. And one of my guys isn't exactly pleased with the fact that he's tied to two different people.”

“You’ve got _two_ strings?” Siwon’s voice breaks through their personal bubbling, startling Chanyeol. When he turns around, he finds Siwon staring down at his hand with a puzzled look on his face. “How? What’s the point of soulmates if the universe is just gonna give you a bunch of strings and call it a day?”

Heechul rolls his eyes. “C’mon, it’s not like Chanyeol’s tied to six different people! He's got a nice three-way soul bond going. I think it’s cool.”

“Thanks,” Chanyeol mutters, smiling gratefully when his co-worker beams brightly.

Siwon shakes his head, plopping down into a seat and never breaking eye contact with Chanyeol’s strings. “I don't know. It’s weird to me. It feels…wrong, that you get to have double the fun.”

It isn't fun, though. Chanyeol’s worked himself into fits over these strings, allowing them to cloud his thoughts and ruin his days. One of his soulmates is drawing away from him more and more, and the other has flat out rejected him. Chanyeol isn't having even a little bit of fun, let alone double.

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Siwon,” Donghae protests quietly, a little shy to speak up in front of their older, respectable colleague.

Siwon sighs heavily, looking between Donghae’s hunched over form, Heechul’s hardening stare and Chanyeol’s complete avoidance.

“Guys, look, I’m not trying to be _that_ person, okay? I know how I sound. I get it. Chanyeol, I’m sorry for thinking it’s so weird, I wish I didn’t. It’s just…if the universe is fine with giving you two soulmates, why isn't it bothering to do the same for the rest of us? I’m not saying I want two soulmates, but how come you get to choose?”

“It’s not like that,” Chanyeol speaks carefully, “I don’t have two strings because the universe is telling me I get to pick between them. They both have two strings as well. We’re all tied to each other.”

Siwon nods. “I get that, but the fact is, non-soulmate relationships are already so rare. You’re either in a relationship with the person you’re tied to, or you’re not in a relationship at all. It kinda seems like the universe is giving you a backup option here.”

This is what Chanyeol’s been afraid of. People like Siwon, condemning his strings, accusing him of being depraved and being unable to settle for just one universal soulmate. Chanyeol didn't ask for these strings, but he knows that the world will judge him as if he had, taking in his ties to Sehun and Junmyeon as something greedy and selfish, rather than the universe just tying him to the people he’s destined to spend the rest of his life with, like everyone else.

Chanyeol shouldn't be shamed for having two soulmates. So what if he has twice the love to give than most? The universe must have recognized that and paired him with the two people he was mot destined to share his love with. He doesn't hate himself for his strings anymore, it’s too exhausting to even try.

“I don’t know why I have two strings,” Chanyeol decides to say. “I can tell you right now that I’m not greedy and I definitely don't see one of my tied as a backup option. They’re both great and if I was given the chance, I would be with both of them.”

“Why can’t you?” Donghae asks.

“One of them rejected me and the other one,” Chanyeol simplifies, hating referring to Sehun as ‘the other one’, but knowing this is the fastest way to get his co-workers to understand. “He said he wasn't looking to be tied right now, and definitely not to two people. I think the stigma against multiple strings is getting to him, but I don’t know him that well. I couldn't say.”

Siwon doesn't say anything to that, sitting quite and contemplative. Chanyeol ignores him altogether. If he really has a problem with Chanyeol being tied two times over, then that’s not a problem Chanyeol should have to deal with.

Alarms inside the station go off, calling for a multiple car pileup on the highway between the city and beach town. Even though he knows it’s stupid, Chanyeol’s heart leaps at the thought of Sehun being one of the people involved.

His team suits up relatively quickly, and the ride out to the highway is a little under twenty minutes. They pass miles of traffic on the way there, but arriving to the scene is nothing like the elderly care facility from a few weeks ago.

It honestly isn't anything particularly special. Chanyeol’s team arrives on three separate trucks, as directed by the alarm’s announcement, and immediately they spread out. There isn't even a fire—it’s all triage and damage control, though there is a chance of a car’s fuse short-circuiting and the sparks emitting off of that starting a fire from all the gasoline that’s spilled across the road. Chanyeol’s in charge of quick triage, and as the paramedics arrive to the scene, Chanyeol is pulling his first victim from a car. 

“What do you got?” an EMT asks as he runs up to Chanyeol’s side, crouching down to his level.

“Female victim, conscious and aware of her surroundings,” Chanyeol recites as if reading off a piece of paper. “Nothing too bad, I was gonna patch up her head and send her your way. She definitely needs to be taken to the ER at the very least.”

Chanyeol does just that, laying a thick patch of gauze on the woman’s forehead, taping it down and moving out of the way for the EMT to begin the process of helping her stand up. With one last nod, Chanyeol walks away from the woman and the EMT, on the search for more victims.

He supposes he should be glad that there aren't many to choose from. No one is dead and there’s only three that are seriously injured, one with a punctured lung from a scrap piece from another car, his at the center of the collision. Overall, the job is quick and painless, nothing to cry about when Chanyeol gets off shift.

The ride back to the station is a long one though, given that Chanyeol is in the same truck as Siwon, who seems to have made it his mission to make Chanyeol as uncomfortable and as guilty as possible for having two strings tied around his finger.

Chanyeol understands, he really does. Siwon has never been one to veer away from the status quo, and he knows that if Siwon woke up one morning with another string, he would lose his mind. Ever since Chanyeol’s met Siwon, his soulmate string has been a faded, depressing grey, the sign that that person’s tied has passed away. Chanyeol’s never asked and Siwon’s never offered up the story, but from what he’s heard in passing from colleagues that know Siwon well enough, her death was slow and brutal and Siwon was there for the whole thing, coming out of it alive to tell the tale, but without her by his side.

He hopes he never knows the pain of losing a soulmate. Even with Junmyeon’s rejection, Chanyeol can’t imagine life without he and Sehun in his worldview. Now that he knows they both exist and who they are, Chanyeol would never give up the opportunity to be able to spend time with either one, even if it has to be platonic for Junmyeon’s sake. Chanyeol can readily admit that he wasn't always sold on this idea of soulmates, but he has never once thought about life without them since he’s met the two men he's supposedly destined to be with. He supposes that must be how Baekhyun felt as well—even the knowledge of having a string was enough to have Chanyeol’s head spinning.

Back at the firehouse, Chanyeol rinses off quietly, keeping to himself for the most part. His co-workers are starting to sense the tension between Chanyeol and Siwon, and he doesn't want to make it any worse than it already is. He slinks off to the on-call rooms, climbing up into his usual bunk to get some sleep. 

His nap is dreamless, and Chanyeol isn't sure if he would have preferred something else.

He wakes up to another blaring siren, this one signaling a more serious emergency. Chanyeol’s team is dispatched on three different rigs, leading them to a house fire that has consumed the foundation, licking up the walls and leading out onto the roof. It’s brazenly hot and the fire swallows the house in its entirety, threatening to overtake the trees surrounding it. Chanyeol’s team gets to work. A family stands outside the home, huddled together and crying, a small dog in the arms of the smallest child. The family tells them that no one else is inside the house, and a small sigh of relief is passed around the firefighters.

Chanyeol mans a hose. Being one of the taller and stronger guys on his team, he’s charged with positioning the hose and keeping it in place, shooting the jet of water through a shattered window in hopes of quelling the fire before it takes on a life of its own and swallows up the trees, which would create a much larger problem than they already have.

Containing the fire to inside the house take two hours of a continuous stream of high-pressure water blasts hitting the house from multiple angles. After that, a small team goes inside to put the blast out in little nooks and crannies their long-distance hoses might have missed. Chanyeol works to pack his hose up while that’s happening, and by the time the team returns from inside the house, the long-distance equipment is packed up. The police arrive on the scene just as Chanyeol’s team is rearing up to go.

His shift ends with no muss or fuss, though his brain feels like it’s on fire. When he finally gets to turn his phone on—leaving it off is just easier than having to contend with notifications at the same time as moving in an out of the fire station—Chanyeol realizes he has a slew of texts from Sehun, as well as a couple missed calls. 

Heart picking up, he quickly opens their messages, scrolling through and looking for the emergency. What he finds instead is an adorable stream of Sehun’s consciousness throughout the days he’s been on shift.

_good morning!! i went surfing this morning and thought of you :)) can’t wait to take you out to see the sunrise over the ocean_

_i went to mess with my hair and my hand was covered in salt after :( showering is gonna be a bitch_

_do you like avocado?_

_i went to the park and pet a bunch of dogs!!!!! god i love dogs!!!!_

_do you like blueberries?_

_good night :)) sweet dreams_

_hi!!!!! good morning!!!!!! have fun saving lives and being brave!!!!!! text me when you can, if you can’t at all it’s fine!!_

_THE WATER WAS SO PRETTY TODAY OMG!!!!!!_

_your skin would look so pretty out in the sun_

_hey call me when you’re off :))_

And it goes on and on and on. Chanyeol feels a giant smile blooming on his face. Each of Sehun’s texts include more explanation marks and smiley faces the longer Chanyeol reads them, and his heart physically hurts the absolute cuteness radiating off his phone screen. He says goodbye to a couple colleagues out the door, then he walks to the bus stop, his exhaustion slightly sated by Sehun’s barrage of texts.

It’s an easy decision to dial Sehun’s number, and he answers just as the bus pulls up to the stop.

“ _Hi!_ ” Sehun’s cheerful voice sends warmth to Chanyeol’s cheeks as he swipes his transportation card and boards the bus.

He plops into the nearest seat with a deep sigh. “Hey, Sehun. I just got on the bus.”

“Ooooh,” he’s so fucking cute, Chanyeol can hardly stand it. “I’m…well, it’s a surprise!”

Chanyeol grins. “A surprise? Just for me?”

He can practically see Sehun’s head bobbing up and down, threatening to snap his neck. “Uh huh! How was work? How many lives did you save?”

“Not many people were in danger of dying, really,” Chanyeol says lightly, still feeling the ironic relief of working an extremely long shift without any really life-threatening fires. “But there were a couple people that I had to patch up. It was mainly just a bunch of car crashes and house fires.”

“Are there a lot of those?” Sehun asks, and it does something to Chanyeol that he sounds _so_ curious, so eager to know more.

Chanyeol looks out the window at the city traffic, clogged and just a recipe for disaster on any given day. “Uh, yeah, usually. This city’s not exactly know for safe driving.”

Sehun hums, content to let the conversation fizzle out there. Chanyeol used to think it was incredibly awkward, the way Sehun will just sit on the phone in silence, choosing not to respond to something Chanyeol said. The two will just sit there, listening to each other breathe, for minutes at a time without a word from either of them. He’s grown used to it though. It’s more comfortable silence than anything else, something Chanyeol could use more of with his incredibly crazy schedule at work.

“When do you think you’ll be home? Like, how much longer on the bus?” Sehun finally asks.

Chanyeol looks around, recognizing the street he’s on. “Oh, just a couple more minutes. Not too much longer.”

“Okay.”

They spend those next few minutes in that comfortable silence that Chanyeol has grown to associate with Sehun. Occasionally, Sehun asks Chanyeol to describe his surroundings, and Chanyeol will explain what he just passed by, and then they’ll return to silence once again. Chanyeol’s exhaustion from work starts to set in fully, and he sinks back into his seat, wishing the bus had better cushions for him to rest his aching back against.

“Where are you now?” Sehun asks, voice buzzing with excitement.

Chanyeol looks up, starting with surprise when he realizes he’s in front of his building. “Uh, I just passed my building. My stop is coming up.”

“Ooooh! Okay!” Sehun cheers, and even in his exhaustion, Chanyeol grins.

Chanyeol gets up as the bus slows to a stop, swiping his card again and stepping down onto the sidewalk. He shoulders his work bag and barely gets a second to orient himself before a body slams into him, arms wrapping around his middle and head butting against his chin. “What—“ Chanyeol coughs around a mouthful of black hair that tastes like the ocean, and he melts when he realizes that it’s Sehun that has wrapped around him like a barnacle. 

“Surprise!” Sehun squeaks, but he sounds a little too emotional, voice breaking. Chanyeol wraps his arms around Sehun’s shoulders and pulls him closer to his frame, walking them out of the way of the few people waiting patiently to board the bus. 

There’s a patch of sidewalk where no one’s standing, so Chanyeol leads them there, keeping Sehun locked in a tight embrace. He kisses the stop of Sehun’s head, smiling when he feels Sehun sigh and slump against him. He can feel Sehun’s heartbeat pounding against his own chest. When he looks down, Chanyeol can see their string wrapped around both of them, humming happily once again at their close contact. He ignores the twinging pain from Junmyeon’s string, knowing that it’s for the best that it hurts in that way, that that’s what Junmyeon wants.

“What are you doing here, baby?” Chanyeol tries out the nickname hesitantly, but it pays off when Sehun wiggles happily against him, nuzzling into Chanyeol’s chest and planting small little kisses there. “I wasn’t supposed to see you until tomorrow for lunch.”

“Wanted to surprise you, Chanyeol,” Sehun murmurs, sounding too self-conscious for Chanyeol’s liking. He finally looks up from their tight embrace, and his expression is hesitant and slightly embarrassed, cheeks flushed pink as he looks into Chanyeol’s eyes. “I couldn't wait until tomorrow.”

Chanyeol smiles warmly down at his tied, leaning down to peck Sehun’s nose lightly. Sehun scrunches his nose in response, cheeks glowing pinker. 

“Thank you,” Chanyeol replies honestly. “I’m afraid I’m not gonna be very good company to keep today. I need to shower, I can feel the ash in my hair, and I’m dead on my feet right now. All I want to do is sleep.”

Sehun nods, suddenly looking so serious that Chanyeol has to hold back a laugh. “That’s okay! I figured that! I thought…well,” he turns shy once again, looking at Chanyeol through his eyelashes, like he _wants_ Chanyeol to scoop him up and give him cuddles and kisses forever. “I thought I could come up to your apartment with you and make you some food while you shower, and then we could go lay on your couch and cuddle and watch a movie or something, and when you get too tired, we can go to your bed and we can sleep.”

Chanyeol’s heart flutters dangerously. “Are you gonna be able to sleep? I might conk out in the first fifteen minutes.”

Sehun giggles cutely. “I don’t _have_ to sleep the entire time you are. I brought a book! I can read until I’m tired too. And tomorrow we can go get breakfast _and_ lunch! I just…” he trails off, stepping away from Chanyeol, but Chanyeol suspects it's just to put distance between the two. “You had to go to work right after everything with Junmyeon and I…I just missed you, that’s all. I thought that, after meeting Junmyeon, we’d be spending all this time with him, and that maybe when you’re on-shift I wouldn’t be as lonely—not that I don’t love what you do! I do, I think you’re so brave and a hero!—but that’s not what happened, and I just get…I just get sad when you’re gone for so long. So I wanted to surprise you and see you and sleep with you.”

Chanyeol raises an eyebrow as Sehun’s eyes widen and cheeks flush red at the implication of what he just said. 

“Not like that! You’re too tired for that, I just meant… _anyways_!” Sehun sputters, and Chanyeol has to cackle at that. “Can we just go now?”

“Yes,” Chanyeol replies, voice wobbly still from laughing. “Lead the way, baby.”

Sehun flushes at the nickname, but grumbles at Chanyeol’s residual laughter. He recovers easily enough, grabbing Chanyeol’s hand and intertwining their fingers, swinging their hands between the two like a little kid. There’s so much about Sehun that’s so innocent, so many things he does that has Chanyeol wanting to protect him for the rest of his life, but it’s so unrealistic of him, not to mention demeaning for not thinking that Sehun can take care of himself when he certainly can. So Chanyeol just watches Sehun’s pleased smile take over his face at how their hands look wrapped up together and displays a smile of his own. 

While Chanyeol showers, Sehun cooks up a quick pot of ramen. It’s enough to feed two, but Chanyeol is handed a bowl with a much larger serving. He smiles warmly at Sehun as he takes it, planting a kiss against his cheek with a wet smack, leaving Sehun blubbering and flushed bright red.

They settle onto the couch, Sehun with his legs draped on Chanyeol’s left one, his warm body pressed up against Chanyeol’s left side and heating him up instantly. Sehun has a mindless action movie queued up, serving as white noise as the two slurp up their noodles quickly, leaving their bowls on the coffee table in front of them to dry and crust up throughout the night. They can be washed in the morning anyways. 

Eventually, Chanyeol does start to get too tired to function, eyes blinking slower and slower, staying closed longer each time. Sehun watches him with a soft look on his face, laughing breathily when Chanyeol’s eyes stay closed for thirty seconds before slowly opening up blearily, sleepy tears clouding his eyes as he smacks his lips together.

“Let’s get you to bed,” Sehun murmurs lowly. Chanyeol nods and shivers at the deep tone of his voice.

Chanyeol gets led to his bed, where he unceremoniously flops down, spreading out like a starfish and yawning dramatically. He can hear Sehun laugh somewhere above him, and when he opens his eyes, Sehun’s kneeling over him, practically straddling his lap.

“Make room for me!” Sehun protests with a smile on his face. Chanyeol grumbles sleepily and rolls over, taking Sehun with him. Sehun yelps loudly, startling Chanyeol out of his sated state, and he sends a glare his soulmate’s way. Sehun grimaces and mumbles a quiet “sorry” for his troubles. Chanyeol slowly crawls underneath the covers, curling up in the warmth and leaving plenty of space for Sehun to do the same beside him. “Thank you,” Sehun whispers as he shuffles underneath the covers. 

Chanyeol moan sleepily, rolling over once again to where he knows Sehun is lying next to him, facing him. He swings an arm up and over Sehun’s waist, pulling him in close to him. Sehun giggles as Chanyeol shoves his head to fit under his chin, wrapping his own arm around Chanyeol’s waist. He weasels a leg between Chanyeol’s, tucking itself there like it belongs. Chanyeol doesn’t think he's ever fallen asleep so easily.

And when he wakes up in the morning tangles up with Sehun’s limbs, his soulmate’s breath coming out in cute little puffs against his chest, Chanyeol doesn't think he's ever been happier.

***

It’s an impulsive decision on Chanyeol and Sehun’s part, going to the bar. Neither have anything in particular they need to be doing, and while they could stay in and enjoy each other’s company, something makes both of them want to go out and drink together. They dress nicely, Sehun borrowing Chanyeol’s shirt, and leave Chanyeol’s apartment holding hands. Something compels them both to approach the bar, to look at each other and exchange a questioning glance, to decide to go inside and up to the bar, to order drinks and to sit next to each other like they did weeks ago, right after they first met.

That something answers itself when none other than Kim Junmyeon walks inside the bar, dressed in a pair of slacks and a nice sweater. 

He approaches the bar with no muss or fuss, clearly either not noticing or not recognizing Sehun and Chanyeol. He orders a beer and sits quietly, drinking by himself and not looking as if he feels any particular way about that fact.

Sehun looks at Chanyeol, eyes wide. “You don’t think—?”

“I think there’s a reason both of us were perfectly fine with going to _this_ bar specifically,” Chanyeol answers easily, eyeing Junmyeon from over Sehun’s head.

“Do you think he was compelled as well?” Sehun asks. “He’s alone. You don’t think he's waiting for someone or anything like that, do you?”

Chanyeol watches Junmyeon a little while longer, watches as he drains his beer and orders another one, drinking that one just as quickly. He’s comfortable at the bar, clearly familiar with the place. He’s not looking around, searching for anyone. He’s hunched in on himself, making it clear that he's not looking for company.

“I don’t think he’s waiting for anyone, no,” Chanyeol says eventually.

Sehun’s eyes light up, and it makes Chanyeol more nervous than anything else. “It’s a sign! I know it is! Why else would we all show up at the same bar, huh?”

“Sehun,” Chanyeol sighs, preparing himself to have to placate his soulmate into passive silence.

“What, Chanyeol?” Sehun asks, loud enough that the bartender looks over with a questioning raise of his eyebrow. Chanyeol shakes his head, and the bartender goes back to cleaning out glasses, keeping an eye on the patrons at the same time.

Loud enough that, when Chanyeol looks back over, Junmyeon’s eyeing the two with shocked, wide eyes.

Chanyeol sighs, preparing himself to have to comfort Sehun all through the night when Junmyeon looks away from them and pretends they don’t exist, but to his shock, he gets up instead, gripping his beer tightly in his fist as he slowly but surely approaches them.

“Don’t look now, Sehun,” Chanyeol says, “but I think you might be right.”

“What?!” Sehun gasps, head whipping back to where Junmyeon was sitting before. He looks back at Chanyeol with a frown, eyes swimming with disappointment. “But, Chanyeol, he left—“

“Uh, hi.”

Sehun stares at Junmyeon incredulously. Chanyeol can’t exactly blame him. Junmyeon’s standing in front of them, holding his beer in front of him protectively. He looks back and forth between Sehun and Chanyeol, looking more and more nervous as time passes.

“Hi,” Sehun finally replies stupidly. Chanyeol figures he did himself a favor staying silent.

Junmyeon clears his throat, cheeks pinking up slightly. “You guys didn't follow the strings here, did you?” Junmyeon asks, and Chanyeol realizes he’s trying to make a joke. His cheeks redden even more afterwards. It’s just as adorable when he does it as when Sehun does.

_Fuck_ , Chanyeol curses to himself, _I’m in trouble here too_.

“We didn’t!” Sehun affirms loudly. “Promise!”

Junmyeon nods. “Okay,” he replies, and it’s stilted, awkward.

Chanyeol waves to the tables. “Should we all go sit somewhere? The three of us?”

It’s an invitation. Easy to accept or reject on Junmyeon’s part. If he really wants to, he can decline, and even leave the bar, and Sehun and Chanyeol can go back to drinking just the two of them, having casual conversation until one of them decides their finished. Or he can stay, and be a part of the night. Either way, it’s entirely Junmyeon’s choice.

Sehun stays silent beside him, but his eyes are so full of hope that Chanyeol thinks Junmyeon might actually be an idiot if he turns them down.

“Um, o-okay,” comes Junmyeon’s stilted reply. Chanyeol allows himself to feel hopeful as Junmyeon nods. “Sure, let’s sit.”

They order a pitcher of beer, then go sit at a table together. Chanyeol makes it a point to sit across from Sehun. As much as he would rather be closer to his soulmate, he realizes how intimidating it must have been for Junmyeon to watch Sehun and Chanyeol sit next to each other at the hospital, all up close with each other and constantly interacting. He doesn't want to isolate Junmyeon this time around by having him on the other side of the table, so he chooses his seat so that Junmyeon is sitting between he and Sehun.

“What brings you to this bar?” Sehun asks innocently.

“My shift just ended a little while ago,” Junmyeon explains. “I always come here after a draining case. It…helps take the edge off, I guess.”

Chanyeol nods. He understands. He’s had so many bad days on the job, and they far outweigh the good. He's sure Junmyeon, as a trauma surgeon, must feel the same way.

“No one waiting for you back home?” 

Junmyeon chokes around his sip of beer, nearly spitting it back into the mug. Chanyeol glares at Sehun, who still has that perfectly innocent expression on his face, as if he hasn't said anything wrong, and maybe he really believes that. Chanyeol shakes his head. Sehun kills him sometimes.

“Uh, no,” Junmyeon replies shakily, “no one at home. It’s just me.”

Sehun hums and sits back in his seat, looking pleased. Chanyeol wants to disappear.

As their pitcher of beer starts to empty and their cheeks get a more permanent pink flush to them, Chanyeol can feel tension crackling between the three of them. Even as the pitcher is refilled and then emptied with ease, Chanyeol can feel the atmosphere start to lighten. Junmyeon cracks real jokes, and his _smile_. It nearly took Chanyeol out the first time he saw it for real, eyes crinkled and teeth out. The look in Sehun’s eyes tell him that he feels the same. At some point, they both have scooted their chairs closer to Junmyeon’s, and maybe it’s a conscious decision on both of their parts or a coincidence, but they both begin with fleeting touches that Junmyeon can easily ignore, getting him used to physical contact. Sehun’s much more deliberate than Chanyeol is, but then again, he isn't really sure what he wants out of this evening yet. Junmyeon already looks far more comfortable with them both than he did during their first meeting or even earlier when he first spotted them in the bar. If the strokes of Sehun’s hand isn't making Junmyeon uncomfortable again, then Chanyeol doesn't see the harm.

It’s when Junmyeon says something particularly funny, that has Chanyeol throwing his head back in laughter and keeping his arms locked at his sides so as to not start punching Junmyeon, does Sehun plant a hand on Junmyeon’s thigh, laughing with ease in the meantime. Junmyeon looks down at the hand, dangerously close to his crotch if Sehun maneuvers in just the right way. Chanyeol watches Junmyeon gulp. He looks over at Chanyeol, a question in his eyes, but Chanyeol just looks back at him with questioning eyes of his own. Is Junmyeon okay with this? Is it time to wrap it up, go home?

Junmyeon looks back down at Sehun’s hand, watches it flex and contract when Sehun squeezes his thigh gently, relaxing his hand right afterwards. Junmyeon sighs shakily, then nods.

Sehun grins at Chanyeol, who just looks back and forth between them, like he can’t quite believe it.

The walk to Chanyeol’s place could be quicker if the three weren't stumbling over their steps so frequently. Sehun’s latched himself to Junmyeon’s arm, giggling loudly and finding a way to tuck his head into Junmyeon’s neck, as if he isn't nearly a head taller than the older man.

When Sehun and Chanyeol are laid out on the bed next to each other, underneath Junmyeon’s kneeling form, it occurs to Chanyeol that, since he and Sehun haven't had sex yet, dynamics aren't something either of them have spoken about. Chanyeol’s open to giving, but he's always much preferred receiving. And if the way Sehun’s back is arched and legs are spread, he feels the same way. 

Junmyeon’s kneeling over both of them though, with a hungry look in his eyes as he takes in their prone forms, the way they’re both spread out for the taking, and Chanyeol thinks that he really is the _perfect_ fit for them.

The next few hours pass by in a blur, Chanyeol’s drunken state of mind taking nearly all of his memories of their night together, but when Chanyeol wakes up the next morning, he's curled around Sehun’s form like usual, except Sehun’s curled around Junmyeon’s form as well, the three sleeping in a spooning train that has Chanyeol’s heart beats faster as he thinks about it.

He sees Junmyeon, propped up on stacked pillow behind him, watching both of them with a pensive expression on his face. Sehun’s head is on Junmyeon’s thigh, his arm wrapped around Junmyeon’s legs, and Chanyeol isn't exactly sure how Junmyeon feels about that. 

Immediately, fear courses through him. What if Junmyeon decides that this is a one-time thing? What if he and Sehun didn't do a good enough job of pleasing him, and he's decided it isn't worth his time? What if he never intended to change his mind? 

What if, what if, what if?

Junmyeon sighs heavily, bringing a hand down to trace Sehun’s face with his fingertips. The movement is soft and deliberate, and Chanyeol gets shivers up his own spine imagining how Junmyeon’s fingers might feel on _his_ face.

“I guess we really are doing this, huh?” Junmyeon asks, resigned.

Chanyeol’s heart soars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed it :)) leave a comment with your thoughts if you want and follow my new twitter @ planetsuh where the L is an uppercase i


	4. four: there's nothing you and i won't do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is way too late and way too short but the last chapter is a fucking monster so i figured this would be a nice transition into what's to come. enjoy!

part four: there's nothing you and i won't do

Chanyeol is in absolute bliss.

“Can someone tell Chanyeol that his smile is fucking ugly?” Heechul jokes. “Seriously, it’s also disturbing. How are you _this_ happy, man?”

“Leave the guy alone,” Donghae chides, “he’s got brand new soulmates. He’s allowed to be a little lovesick.”

Not much has changed necessarily. Chanyeol still goes to work, nearly kills himself for four days straight overworking and hardly sleeping, running around and putting out everyone’s fires (literally). He still jokes around with his co-workers, though things are a little stiff with Siwon now, still cooks for them and cleans when he can and tries not to take up too much space on the rig when all he really wants to do is stretch his legs out and relax.

But there are differences. When he gets off work, instead of having maybe a missed call or two, his phone is overflowing with unread texts, mostly from Sehun, with the occasional update from Junmyeon as well. Rather than spamming Chanyeol alone with his sunrise and sunset beach photos, Sehun’s moved his cute ramblings to the group chat they’ve created for each other. After a long, exhausting shift, Chanyeol opens the group chat, and on the bus ride back to his apartment, he reads through all of Sehun’s texts and looks at all of his pictures with the largest grin possible on his face.

_the swell was too dangerous this morning so i couldn’t go out :( hopefully it’ll be better tonight_

_i hope u guys are having nice days!!! both of u are so important, ur jobs must be so stressful :(( make sure to rest extra well!!!!! have a good day! both of you!  
i got to surf tonight!!!! my flash isn't working on my phone so i can’t send pics but the waves are so pretty!!!!! can’t wait to see u guys again_

_goodnight :)))_

_good morning :))) have a great day, both of u!!!!_

_i miss uuuuuuuuu_

Chanyeol blushes bright red when he realizes Junmyeon has added something to Sehun’s inner monologue as well.

_I just got off work. Sehun, thank you for all the pictures, it helps so much during the long hours :) Chanyeol, stay safe. Text us when you’re off too._

Sehun liked Junmyeon’s message, adding a _^^^_ to emphasize it.

Quickly, Chanyeol types a response, heart threatening to beat out of his chest.

_I’m off. I’m on the bus right now._

Instantly, Chanyeol’s phone lights up, a beautifully lit selfie of Sehun in the early morning sun taking up his entire screen. He swipes, accepting his soulmate’s call. “Hello?” 

“ _Chanyeol! I missed you!”_ Sehun croons into the phone. “ _Junmyeon missed you too, he just won’t say it_.”

“Are you two together?” Chanyeol asks, feeling a pang of loneliness at the thought of his soulmates spending time together without him. But his schedule is a lot different than both of theirs, and he and Sehun got a lot of time together just the two of them before Junmyeon finally came around to the idea of them.

Sehun hums. “ _Yeah, we met up yesterday after his shift and got dinner. I spent the night at his place._ ”

Chanyeol shifts around at the implications of that. “Yeah?” he asks, voice suddenly a lot deeper. “Did you have fun?”

“ _Yes_ ,” Sehun giggles, like he knows exactly what he's doing, “ _you should come over, after you've showered and changed and aren’t gross from work anymore_.”

“I should? Is Junmyeon okay with that?”

“ _Of course!_ ” Sehun sounds like he's pouting and the squeezing around Chanyeol’s heart only tightens at the image. “ _Junmyeon! Chanyeol can come over, right!_ ”

“ _Yeah!_ ” Chanyeol hears his other soulmate yell somewhere in the background, and his heart trembles all over again. 

“Okay,” Chanyeol confirms, “I’ll be there soon.”

He grins again at Sehun’s cheering in his ear, Junmyeon grumbling for Sehun to quiet down a little bit before the call disconnects. He spends the rest of the bus ride smiling like a love sick idiot, thinking about his two soulmates and the idea of spending more time with them tonight. 

He showers quickly, changing into some gym shorts and a giant hoodie that eclipses his body but makes him feel warm and comfortable. He brushes through his hair and lets it flop all over his head, curling at the ends and still dripping water before he shakes it out once more. Stepping into his sneakers, he heads back out, following the tug of the strings ties around his finger calling him home.

Chanyeol reaches Junmyeon’s place and feels strangely nervous. He’s never been to Junmyeon’s before. He’s never been to Sehun’s either, but Junmyeon is a lot more intimidating than their younger soulmate. Even though he’s shorter, Junmyeon carries himself taller than Chanyeol and Sehun combined, and Chanyeol hasn't entirely figured him out yet.

He reaches up to knock, and only gets through two before the door swings open, Sehun’s smiling face on the other side.

“Chanyeol!” he squeals, launching into him and wrapping his arms around his neck, burrowing his face in his shoulder. Chanyeol returns the hug quickly, chuckling lowly at the younger’s antics. “Hi! I missed you so much!”

“Hey,” Chanyeol murmurs back softly, pressing a kiss into the side of Sehun’s head and smiling even wider when he feels him shudder as a result. “Missed you too.”

Sehun pulls away, beaming. “Did you really?”

Chanyeol can hear the small little bit of insecurity behind those words, so he ups the ante, grinning down at Sehun and planting a kiss right onto his cute little lips. “Of course I did. My shifts drag on forever, especially when I’m not allowed to look at my phone.”

“He wouldn't shut up about it,” Junmyeon’s voice sends automatic shivers down Chanyeol’s spine, and he looks up to see him in the kitchen, propped against the counter with a hand on his hip. “Seriously, I could barely get through a sentence without Sehun whining about how worried he was for you, how he hoped you were getting enough sleep and breathing in enough clean air and this and that.”

Chanyeol looks at Sehun, watches him flush red all the way up to his ears. “That’s sweet,” he comments lightheartedly, hoping to take away some of the embarrassment.

“It was a lot,” Junmyeon admits, but his smile is fond too as he looks at Sehun. “Honestly, I was kind of offended. He barely wanted to talk about _my_ shift. For all he knows, I could've had a very grueling, traumatic day, you know, as a _trauma surgeon_.”

Chanyeol watches Sehun’s eyes widen with realization before he turns to Junmyeon, metaphorical tail between his legs. “I didn't mean to sideline you!” Sehun whines, sounding far too guilty to be a joke. “Please don’t think I don’t care about you too! I’m so sorry!”

Junmyeon crumples quickly, realizing Sehun didn't take his banter as lightly as he thought, and he closes the distance between he and Sehun quickly. “No, no. I was joking. I know you care, sweet boy.” He kisses Sehun gently, and if Chanyeol wasn't tied to the both of them—didn’t feel every bit of the tenderness exchanged between them through their bond—he would've felt as if he was intruding.

“I just don’t want you to feel like I prioritize him over you,” Sehun mumbles, still sounding heartbroken, “because I don’t. I like you both the same, I swear.”

“Sehun,” Chanyeol chimes in, knowing that Junmyeon might struggle with this, “it’s okay. We know. Junmyeon and I both have really stressful jobs, it’s okay that you aren't entirely sure how to navigate that. We’ve both been living with what we do for awhile now, it’s understandable that you’d need an adjustment period.”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon adds, looking unsure but gaining confidence, “no one aspects you to be perfect, Sehun. Neither of us are perfect, not by a long shot.”

Sehun looks between the two, still not looking entirely persuaded. “Do you promise? Both of you?” he asks timidly.

“I promise,” Chanyeol responds immediately, cupping Sehun’s face in his hands.

“I do too,” Junmyeon adds from over Sehun’s shoulder.

The two step in, Chanyeol hugging Sehun’s front and Junmyeon hugging his back, enveloping their youngest between them and squeezing tightly. Junmyeon sends Chanyeol a grateful look and mouths a silent ‘thank you’ which Chanyeol accepts with a light blush and a nod.

“Okay,” Sehun says, a signal for the two to release him. They do. “I’m sorry I need to be reassured all the time. It must be annoying.”

“Not at all,” Chanyeol replies easily. Then his phone rings, and he digs it out of his pocket to check the caller ID, heart plummeting into his stomach when he reads the familiar name.

_BAEKHYUN <3_

Chanyeol silents the call, pocketing his phone again and blinking away the shock on his face so that Sehun and Junmyeon don't question it. They’ve both migrated to the kitchen, where Junmyeon’s apparently preparing dinner and Sehun is sitting unhelpfully on the counter watching him.

Why would Baekhyun call him? Why now? He’s been through the apartment more times than he count, taking inventory of everything in there and noting the empty spaces where Baekhyun’s belongings used to occupy. Baekhyun’s left nothing behind. Is it something else?

Does he regret leaving to go be with his soulmate? Does he want Chanyeol back?

Chanyeol can’t think of a single scenario where Baekhyun would ever turn around and walk away from his soulmate. He’d always known, since Baekhyun’s string appeared, that eventually he’d be left alone. Baekhyun’s always been the type to commit fully, and at the time he had committed himself to Chanyeol, and had adamantly refused the life partner his string offered him. Now though, that he’s united with his soulmate and left Chanyeol behind, Baekhyun has no reason to turn back and want Chanyeol back in his life.

Would Chanyeol even take him back if he did?

He watches Junmyeon and Sehun, barely hears their banter over the ringing in his ears, but he watches. They already look so comfortable together, like they fit. They look like he and Sehun looked after they first met. Chanyeol knows he and Junmyeon still have some getting to know each other to do, but after they’ve crossed that hurdle, Chanyeol’s sure he’ll feel as connected to him as he does to Sehun. He kind of already does.

Can he give this up for his ex-fiancee? Leave it all behind to return to his old life? 

It’s odd that his life already feels divided up like that—pre and post Junmyeon and Sehun. Their presence in his life has already influenced so much that it should be scary, but Chanyeol knows, deep down, that this is the way it’s supposed to go. He imagines Baekhyun and his soulmate, how they must fit together like two peas in a pod, better than Baekhyun and Chanyeol ever thought they did.

But maybe, just maybe, if Baekhyun were to come crawling back, Chanyeol might have a serious decision on his hands.

“Chanyeol!” Junmyeon’s authoritative voice cuts through his thoughts, jolting him out go his stupor. “Are you gonna come over and help or are you just gonna stand there staring like Sehun is?”

Sehun squawks. “I’m not just staring! I’m being helpful! I’m telling you how I like it done!”  


“Yeah,” Junmyeon rolls his eyes, “that’s _so_ helpful.”

Chanyeol grins. “Don’t worry, Junmyeon,” he croons as he walks closer, “I’ll _actually_ help, unlike that one.”

“Hey!”

The notification shows up again three days later. _BAEKHYUN <3 _lighting up his phone, vibrating far too loudly in the black, silent night. It’s only around ten o’clock, but Chanyeol’s soulmates are both passed out beside him, this time in his apartment, Sehun in the middle and Junmyeon curled into his side, an arm lying over his middle protectively. 

Chanyeol picks his phone up, stares at the notification, and wonders what he’s doing. Clearly, he’s never going to pick up, the pain of Baekhyun’s departure from his life—while not a pressing issue any longer—still stings the longer he thinks about it. Though Chanyeol thinks he’s moved on, there’s plenty still to unpack from the way he and Baekhyun left things. 

In the end, he doesn't think twice. He deletes the heart from Baekhyun’s contact, leaving it nice and simple and without emotional attachment. Falling asleep comes easily to him, listening to the even rise and fall of Junmyeon and Sehun’s synchronized breathing, the soul bond uniting them even in sleep. 

When he wakes up the next morning, he deletes the notifications for the two additional missed calls he has. Whatever it is that Baekhyun so clearly wants to say to him, Chanyeol isn't ready to hear it yet.

***

Chanyeol and Junmyeon don’t get time one-on-one for another few weeks. 

Their work schedules conflict far too often. The moment Chanyeol gets off of a four day shift, Junmyeon’s going into the hospital for a thirty-two hour rotation, which takes up the bulk of Chanyeol’s three free days. He spends some of that time with Sehun, but even he has to work, and when Junmyeon gets off of his shift, he’s far too tired to dedicate much time to either soulmate, let alone both. Anytime both Chanyeol and Junmyeon are off is time spent all three together, Sehun never being one to miss a lazy day.

Still and yet, Chanyeol and Junmyeon hit the jackpot one morning. Chanyeol startles awake at around four o’clock, his finger straining from the pull of one of his strings. Immediately, he checks his phone, heart pounding in his ears as he ponders the possibility that one of his tied is in danger, only to have a notification from Junmyeon.

_My shift just ended. I have no idea if you’re awake, but Sehun’s surfing this morning and I thought maybe you’d like some company? Just the two of us?_

Chanyeol’s heart pounds for a different reason, nerves fluttering in his stomach like he’s a blushing school girl. He hastily sends a response.

_just woke up, u wanna come over???_

Junmyeon sends back a thumbs up and Chanyeol flops happily onto his bed, stretching out like a starfish and groaning at the random pops his sleep-stiff joints release the longer he holds the position.

What feels like minutes later, Junmyeon knocks on his door. Chanyeol scrambles to get out of bed, rushing to the door and pulling it open with ruddy cheeks and a sheepish smile. “Hi,” he mumbles, still feeling sleepy from his sudden awakening.

Junmyeon looks amazing, dark hair slightly gelled back as opposed to his usual casually loose style he wears around at home. He’s wearing his scrubs with a fleece overtop of them, and Chanyeol can’t help but feel warmer as he sees Junmyeon in his work uniform for only the second time.

“Hi,” Junmyeon’s warm smile sends shivers down Chanyeol’s spine. He steps aside, giving enough room for Junmyeon to step into the apartment before closing and locking the door behind them. “How are you?”

“I’m tired,” Chanyeol admits sheepishly. “My string woke me up. It was tugging really hard. I think it was yours, trying to wake me up so we could see each other.”

“Oh,” Junmyeon flushes, subconsciously rubbing his finger where both of his strings are. Chanyeol follows the movement with his eyes, a warm smile overtaking his features.

“I don’t mind,” he murmurs, stepping closer to Junmyeon. “I like seeing you and spending time with you. It’s a necessary sacrifice.”

Junmyeon falls into Chanyeol’s open arms, looping his around Chanyeol’s middle and leaning against him. Chanyeol feels like a pillar, and he does his best to support his soulmate’s weight against him. 

“I miss you all the time,” Junmyeon says, words muffled against Chanyeol’s sleep shirt. “I see Sehun so often when you’re at work, but when we’re both off he’s always there. I like Sehun a lot, and I don’t mind him always being with us—there’s a reason we’re all tied to each other, after all—I just wish we were able to spend more time together, just the two of us.”

Chanyeol’s overwhelmed. For as long as Junmyeon’s known them, very rarely does he express himself well with words. Chanyeol always thought he was the type to show his affection through actions, like how he holds Sehun close to him while they sleep or how he always cooks Chanyeol’s favorite meals when he gets off of work, but maybe that’s not the case. Maybe he just doesn't express himself with words often because he’s storing it all up, waiting for the perfect time to say what he wants to.

“I miss you all the time too,” Chanyeol replies easily, because it’s true. “I wish all the time that we got to see each other more. Sehun and I had a lot of time just the two of us before we sought you out, and now that we have you, it feels like you’re so much closer to him than you are to me.”

“I feel like that too,” Junmyeon admits, sounding guilty, “I don’t mean for it to be that way.”

Chanyeol shakes his head. “It’s okay. I feel closer to Sehun too. He’s just like that, I guess.”

“I guess so,” Junmyeon chuckles, craning his head up to look at Chanyeol, lips pursed in a silent question. Chanyeol leans down and closes the gap between them, kissing him softly and slowly.

When they pull away, Chanyeol sees the droop of Junmyeon’s eyelids. Smiling softly, he asks, “do you want to sleep?”

“No,” Junmyeon’s eyebrows furrow, but his slow blink says otherwise, “I just got here. I want to spend time with you.”

“We can spend time together,” Chanyeol reasons. “We can sleep. C’mon, it’s okay, I’m tired too.”

Junmyeon pouts, making Chanyeol want to kiss it off of him. “I wanted to spend time with you _awake_.”

“We can make the most of our time together when we both wake up,” Chanyeol promises. “I don’t go into work until tomorrow night. We have plenty of time.”

“Okay,” Junmyeon concedes, leaning up and kissing Chanyeol once again before pulling away completely and marching towards Chanyeol’s bedroom. “Get ready for me to snore like a lawnmower.”

Chanyeol giggles, following his soulmate dutifully. “Don’t worry, I’ll knock out faster than you. It’s _my_ snoring that’ll keep you up for the next few hours.”

As it turns out, they fall asleep together, their soul bond regulating their breathing and sending them into a deep sleep together. Chanyeol dreams of Junmyeon, and idly wonders if Junmyeon’s dreaming of Chanyeol too. 

A few hours later, Chanyeol wakes up again. Soft light from the early morning pours in from his window, shining right into his eyes. Groaning, he turns over and nearly jumps out of his skin when he sees Junmyeon sitting wide awake beside him, on his phone with a contemplative look on his face.

“Good morning,” Junmyeon croons softly.

Chanyeol blinks. “How long have you been up?” His voice is raspy, and he flushes a light pink at the pleased noise Junmyeon lets out upon hearing it.

“Not long,” he assures. He sets his phone down on the nightstand beside him and slides down the bed so that he’s lying down, facing Chanyeol. “I don’t usually sleep much the night after a long shift. Too much to wind down from. Don’t worry, I’ll sleep a lot longer tonight.”

“Okay,” Chanyeol replies quietly.

He looks at his soulmate with a bit of trepidation, and Chanyeol hates that he doesn't entirely know what to do with himself. Does Junmyeon like to be kissed in the mornings? Has he already brushed his teeth for the occasion? Should Chanyeol brush his teeth? It’s a little sad, knowing that this is the first night that he and Junmyeon have spent together alone, Sehun usually occupying the space between them, curling up around both of them with sleepy cuddles and warm kisses.

As if he can hear his thoughts, Junmyeon smiles softly. “You can kiss me, Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol gulps. “Really?”

“Really,” Junmyeon nods, doing half the work for him and leaning in. “Chanyeol,” he croons sweetly, “kiss me.”

He does, laving over Junmyeon’s pretty pink lips with his own. It’s a lazy kiss. Neither of their mouths open, they just slot their lips together, moving slowly. Chanyeol cups the back of Junmyeon’s neck with one of his hands, tentatively smiling when Junmyeon groans after he squeezes the skin there. 

Junmyeon pulls away, eyes fond and making Chanyeol smile bigger. “You’re so cute,” Junmyeon muses. 

“No I’m not,” Chanyeol insists.

“ _Yes_ , you are,” Junmyeon argues, leaning in and pecking him again. “Are you kidding me? With your fluffy morning hair and puffy eyes. And now your lips are swollen. You look _adorable_.”

Chanyeol shakes his head. “Not adorable,” he denies petulantly, knowing that he's feeding into Junmyeon’s point, “I’m sexy.”

Something in Junmyeon’s eyes darken, and Chanyeol shivers. “You’re that too,” his soulmate admits, voice low.

“Oh,” Chanyeol breathes out, refusing to look away from Junmyeon’s face. “Thank you,” he whispers shyly.

Junmyeon’s eyes light up again. “See? Cute!”

Chanyeol sputters as Junmyeon kisses him wetly on the nose before bouncing out of bed, heading towards his bathroom. 

Junmyeon takes Chanyeol out for breakfast, and Chanyeol can’t help but feel like he’s being wooed. It’s a pleasant feeling, having someone as sturdy and dependable as Junmyeon wanting to take care of him, even with something as small as breakfast. At the cafe, Junmyeon pulls out Chanyeol’s chair for him, unravels his utensil set and pours out Chanyeol’s orange juice from the pitcher he orders. There’s a part of Chanyeol that feels like he's being babied, but the other more rational part of him knows that this is just how Junmyeon likes to take care of people. He’s seen him do it for Sehun, and now he's extending Chanyeol the same courtesy. It makes him feel warm, light. 

When Chanyeol’s with Junmyeon, he feels safe. _Junmyeon_ is safe.

“Did you like everything?” Junmyeon asks as they leave the cafe. “We can go somewhere else if you didn’t.”

Chanyeol smiles down at his soulmate. “Everything was great.” He bends down, kissing Junmyeon quickly. “Thank you for breakfast.”

“You’re welcome, I like feeding you and Sehun,” Junmyeon explains. “If I don’t, no one else will.”

“Hey!” Chanyeol balks. “I do just fine! Sehun on the other hand…”

Junmyeon rolls his eyes playfully. “You’re both just as bad. Don’t pretend like your trash isn't stacked high with takeout containers. I’m the only one of the three of us who bothers to put in a little bit of effort when it comes to this stuff.”

“I know how to cook,” Chanyeol refuses to give. He feels a pout forming. “I just never feel like it. Working is exhausting all the time.”

“I know,” Junmyeon replies gently, cradling Chanyeol’s hand in his. Their height difference makes it a bit awkward, but as Junmyeon laces their fingers together, Chanyeol finds that he can’t complain. “I feel the same way sometimes.”

There’s a pause then. Chanyeol likes that he and Junmyeon, while not working the same jobs and not making nearly the same amount of money, have common ground when it comes to their work schedules. It gives him a lot in common with the other, something he didn't think he would have when they first met.

“Sehun _is_ helpless, though,” Junmyeon finally says.

Chanyeol bursts into laughter. “True!”

Junmyeon and Chanyeol walk back to Chanyeol’s apartment, and Chanyeol’s heart sings when Junmyeon follows him inside. They spend the day curled up on the couch watching random TV shows and sharing slow, soft kisses that melt Chanyeol into the upholstery. Sehun occasionally texts and asks for updates, but he’s hanging out with his friends, so he isn't as active as he usually is.

The quiet is nice. So much of Chanyeol’s life is go, go, go, and he knows Junmyeon can relate to that. Sehun’s day job is so much more relaxing, and so he likes to let loose in his downtime. Chanyeol and Junmyeon just don’t have that in common with him. It’s not that it’s difficult to keep up with him—it isn’t. It’s just that, sometimes, Chanyeol would rather just turn into a blob on the couch than go out and do something like Sehun always wants to do.

“This is nice,” Junmyeon voices Chanyeol’s thoughts, and briefly he wonders if his soulmate has a direct connection to his innermost thoughts. “I’m glad we can do this, just you and I.”

“Me too,” Chanyeol murmurs back, burrowing himself further into the warmth of Junmyeon’s body. “I hope we can keep doing it more often.”

Junmyeon hums, sending vibrations down his body. “I’m sure we can make the time for it.”

Chanyeol smiles, closing his eyes and letting the sounds from the television and the warmth from Junmyeon’s body wash over him. He’s never felt more relaxed in his life. It’s a feeling he’s hard pressed to let go of.

***

“Have you ever thought about moving?”

Chanyeol glances over at Sehun, who has his eyes carefully averted as he looks down at the ice cream cone in his hand. His cheeks are fuller these days and they’re flushed bright pink, glowing cutely in the bright, midday sun.

“I’m not sure, maybe,” Chanyeol answers honestly, “why?”

Sehun shrugs. “I don’t know.”

“Yes you do,” Chanyeol teases. He takes a bite of his ice cream in the interim.

“Okay, so I do,” Sehun admits petulantly, sticking his tongue out and scrunching his nose up. “The day we met you told me you’ve always wanted to live beachside.”

Chanyeol nods. He did say that.

“So I guess I was just wondering if you’ve ever thought about it. You know, seriously. Like, have you ever thought about maybe one day moving beachside?” Sehun finally asks, flushed redder than ever.

“Oh,” Chanyeol blinks. “Is there a fire department beachside?”

Sehun glares. “ _Obviously_. Fires happen everywhere, silly. It’s…not as big as the one in the city, since there’s just less people on the coast but…it exists.”

Chanyeol hums. “Do _you_ want me to move beachside?”

Balking, Sehun looks down again, focusing far too intently on his ice cream to mean it properly. “I…hadn’t thought about it like _that_ ,” he lies through his teeth. Chanyeol’s getting really good at being able to tell these days. “I was just wondering what you thought about it.”

“Well, truthfully, I hadn't thought about it at all,” Chanyeol admits.

“Oh,” Sehun slumps, lower lip sticking out slightly.

“Look, I’m not stupid. I know what this is,” Chanyeol says kindly. “Have you been thinking about me moving beachside?”

Sehun hesitates, blinking rapidly like he might be holding back tears. Chanyeol hopes he isn’t, hopes that Sehun isn’t working himself up over this. 

“I…it just gets really lonely out there sometimes,” Sehun finally admits. “I’m the only one of us that lives beachside _and_ I have the least busy schedule out of all of us. I feel like you both are always running around the city without me. I just thought it might be nice if one of you moved, and you told me you’ve always wanted to live beachside, so I thought of you.”

“So you want me to move beachside and leave Junmyeon in the city alone?” Chanyeol teasingly asks.

Sehun’s eyes widen. “No! No, that’s not what I meant at all!”

“I know,” Chanyeol croons softly, “I was teasing you.”

“I just,” Sehun huffs, “I don't want to be left behind. Sometimes…I feel like you’re both always so busy advancing yourselves, and I’m just stuck on the beach by myself.”

And that makes Chanyeol pause, because the very last thing he wants to do is make Sehun feel isolated. Truth be told, he hasn't put much thought into moving—there’s a lot that goes into it. His lease would need to be up, he’d have to leave his job and the few friends he has. On top of it all, it’d be an entirely new environment, and Sehun would presumably want Chanyeol to move in with him. What if it doesn't work out? And what happens when it’s Junmyeon’s turn to feel isolated, alone in the big city without either of his tied, who are both too busy loving it up with each other on the beach.

Chanyeol’s never been one to be insecure, so maybe he doesn't entirely understand where Sehun’s coming from with his worries, but he does understand their soul bond. He feels it—late at night, whether he's in his own bed or a cot at the fire station—that dull, throbbing pulse of longing that Sehun subconsciously sends out on the nights that he and Junmyeon are both working. Sehun spends far too much time alone for someone so affectionate. If it’s getting to the point that Chanyeol’s string is hurting too much to sleep well at night, then something is most definitely off with their dynamic, he just isn't sure moving beachside is going to permanently fix it.

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol chooses to say, “I don’t want you to feel left behind. That’s the last thing I want to do to you, actually. You’re way too important to be left all alone out there by yourself so often. I…never thought about moving beachside, but that doesn't mean I can’t. If it’s bothering you that much, I’ll consider it as a possibility.”

“Really?” Sehun’s eyes seem to have doubled in size, welling with tears and really bringing his message home. “Do you mean it?”  


“Of course I do,” Chanyeol replies earnestly, “when have I ever lied to you?”

And that satisfies Sehun, who curls into Chanyeol’s side with a pleased hum. His ice cream has started to melt over the cone, and he bends down quickly to lick at it. Chanyeol looks away. It’s way too inappropriate of him to get heated over watching his soulmate lick up his ice cream in public after a conversation that heavy.

The issue comes up again relatively quickly, this time with Junmyeon present. They’re all at Chanyeol’s apartment, takeout boxes piled up between them as they pass around food like it’s nothing. Chanyeol’s place has never felt more full, more warm. And it makes him think about what it would be like to live with another person again. Not just a fiancee, but a soulmate.

“Hey,” he says, getting both Sehun and Junmyeon’s attention. “My lease is up in a couple months.”

He hears Sehun suck in a sharp breath, excitement flashing in his eyes. Junmyeon looks between the two, expression open but looking slightly confused. “Okay,” Junmyeon answers slowly, “what brought this up?”

Chanyeol clears his throat. “In the interest of full disclosure, Sehun and I had a conversation a few days ago,” Junmyeon’s eyebrow raises at Chanyeol’s fancy choice of words, a slight smirk on his face, but Chanyeol ignores them both, plowing on. “We talked about the possibility of me thinking about moving beachside. My lease is up soon, so I thought we should all have a conversation together.”

Junmyeon pauses, unblinking, as Chanyeol’s words sink in. Sehun looks at him nervously, chewing on his bottom lip like it’s candy.

“The possibility of you thinking about moving?” Junmyeon asks. “Not the possibility of you moving, flat out?”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol clarifies, “I hadn't thought about it before Sehun brought it up, but it kind of seems like something I should think about, right?”

Junmyeon glances at Sehun. “What made you bring it up?”

“I just—“ Sehun halts, his nerves clearly getting the better of him in front of Junmyeon. Chanyeol understands, their other soulmate has this energy about him that sometimes makes him difficult to talk to in times like this. He seems so intimidating, so hard to approach, and it’s a difficult balance compared to he and Sehun, who are so open and willing to talk about any and everything.

“Hey,” Junmyeon interjects, expression softening as he takes in Sehun’s riled up state, “just tell me. It’s okay. I want to know.”

Sehun blushes, clearly embarrassed at being called out. “When Chanyeol and I first met, he told me he’s always wanted to live beachside. I just thought…since I’m alone over there…maybe he’d want to consider moving. Since he already has an interest anyways.”

Junmyeon looks at Chanyeol, and Chanyeol nods his agreement.

“Well,” Junmyeon says, sounding just a little stilted, “if that’s something you both want, why shouldn't you think about it?”

Chanyeol blinks. _That_ was certainly easier than he thought it would be.

“How would it work?” Junmyeon asks. “Chanyeol, you said your lease is up. Do you have a place beachside lined up?”

“Oh,” Sehun startles, “I just—I mean, I don’t know if this is what you want, Chanyeol, but I was thinking you would move in with me? I mean, would that be okay?”

Chanyeol nods. “It’s kind of what I was thinking too. It makes the most sense.”

Junmyeon looks between the two, a line forming between his eyebrows. “Oh, so you—“ he huffs, “you would be moving in together? The two of you? Beachside? O-oh, that’s…cool,” he finishes lamely.

_Oh_. Maybe this isn't going to be as easy as Junmyeon first made it out to be.

“…Would you rather he didn't move in with me?” Sehun asks cautiously.

“What?” Junmyeon’s eyes widen. “I didn't say that. I-I…if that’s what you want, of course you should move in together.”

Chanyeol shifts closer. “But what about you?” he asks softly. “What you be okay with that? Us living together beachside while you’re still in the city?”

Junmyeon hesitates. “Um…”

“Because I’ve thought about it—what it would mean to leave you behind. I don’t want any of us to feel like the other two are taking off without them. We’re in this together, all three of us. That’s why I wanted to have this conversation. We all need to be involved in decisions like this. So tell me, Junmyeon, would you feel left behind if I moved into Sehun’s place beachside?” 

Junmyeon chews at his lower lip, and Sehun shifts, scooting a little bit closer to Junmyeon and taking on a more open, understanding expression on his face.

“You can be honest,” Sehun murmurs quietly. “Don’t hold back, just tell us how you feel. We want to know.”

Junmyeon looks back and forth between Chanyeol and Sehun, then nods. Chanyeol steels himself, always preparing for the worst. He doesn't entirely know why, he trusts Junmyeon not to purposefully hurt either of their feelings. He guesses it must be his instincts.

“I…don’t entirely know how I feel about you moving in together. The two of you met first, and you had a little bit more time just the two of you before either of you pursued a relationship with me. I guess sometimes I feel like I’m still a third wheel. You both know each other so well, and yeah, Sehun and I still spend a lot of time together, but it might hurt knowing that, at night, you guys might be falling asleep next to each other on the beach while I’m stuck alone in the city.”

Sehun blinks away tears. Chanyeol clears his throat.

“Nobody wants to get rid of you,” Chanyeol says firmly. “I won’t speak for Sehun, but I know, at least for me, that my life got immeasurably better when you decided to make yourself a part of it. I can’t imagine not continuing a relationship with you. Honestly, moving beachside is less about Sehun and I and more about me. I’ve always wanted to live there, and I just think this might be the push I need to finally do it. You’re entitled to your feelings, but I hope you don’t see it as an attempt to leave you behind. That’s the last thing either of us wants to do. Right, Sehun?”

“Right!” Sehun nods his head enthusiastically. “I don’t want to leave you, Junmyeon! I—“ his mouth clamps shut, and Chanyeol would bet his life savings that he knows the words Sehun almost let slip, those words that have been on the tips of all of their tongues for awhile now.

Junmyeon’s cheeks pink, and Chanyeol makes another bet that he knows too.

“I don’t think that,” Junmyeon mumbles, “maybe it’s just stupid.”

“It’s not stupid,” Chanyeol is quick to dismiss, “not if it upsets you.”

Junmyeon smiles. “It doesn't upset me the more I think about it. Not really. You want to live beachside and Sehun has a place beachside. It makes sense.”

Chanyeol feels a warm bubble expand in his chest. He feels hope.

“Really?” Sehun’s voice sounds so timid, so careful. “So…would it be okay if Chanyeol moved in with me?”

“You don’t have to ask for my permission,” Junmyeon says, and he’s smiling bigger now, “but yeah, I think it would be nice for the two of you. Plus, on my time off, I can go see you guys. We can do day trips on the beach.”

Sehun lights up and Chanyeol wishes he had been fast enough to take picture.

“Yes! My beach is so nice and pretty! You’ll both love it!” He turns to Chanyeol, glowing with excitement. “When is your lease up? I wanna mark it on my calendar! This is gonna he so much fun!”

Junmyeon laughs and watches as Sehun launches himself at Chanyeol, wrapping his long limbs around him and planting small, wet kisses all over his face. Chanyeol cradles his soulmate to him, soaking in the affection, and allowing himself to think of a future where he’s _happy_. It’s strange, having this much hope for himself again. It’s like when he was with Baekhyun, making plans and falling in love, but it feels more real. The novelty of having two strings still hasn't worn off on Chanyeol, and he allows himself to hope that it never does.

***

The saying “all good things must come to an end” has never meant much to Chanyeol, if he’s being honest with himself.

He’s always heard of Murphy’s Law—that everything that could possibly go wrong will. He’s always taken that with a grain of salt, because as bad as things have gotten for him in the past, there’s always at least two or three more things that could go wrong but don’t. 

It happens like this.

There’s a call. The alarm system enacts, blaring ear-splitting noises and flashing red all throughout the station. A much more serious alarm than normal, indicating that it may be a more serious call. Chanyeol and his co-workers suit up, boarding their trucks and out the doors within seven minutes.

And when they arrive, it’s chaos. Chanyeol’s eyes start to water at the sheer amount of smoke and ash in the air. Looking around, he can see his teammates are similarly plagued. This is a big one. 

Chanyeol takes a deep breath and settles himself into his role, following Donghae and letting the other help him into the heavy duty equipment, oxygen tank and all. The second he's got the mask over his mouth and nose he's heading over to the entrance of the building. After a few minutes of waiting, he’s joined by other men suited up similarly, and they all head inside.

It’s a shit show. Chanyeol takes point, axe in his hand that he uses to swing fallen debris out of the way. It feels like hours before they’ve finally broken past the entrance hallway into the main building, and once they do, Chanyeol holds back a gag at the sheer amount of charred bodies lying all over the ground. It looks the fire started on the first floor, an electrical shortage, and is slowly spreading up to the upper floors. Chanyeol and his team walk the entirety of the first floor, and the dread that has been slowly encompassing Chanyeol since the alarm went off swallows him whole. It takes them twenty minutes to scale the first floor. There are around seventy bodies. There are no survivors.

They march on. The stairs are sturdy, thankfully, and the entire team manages to make it to the second floor. The door is wedged shut, however, and with the help of two other men, Chanyeol eventually kicks it down. 

There’s a small group of people huddled by the entrance, shirts over their mouths, and Chanyeol motions for someone at the back of the line to round them up and lead them outside. The rest of the second floor is empty. The weight that settled onto Chanyeol’s chest when he first walked into the building still hasn't let up.

The third floor is much of the same. There are people here and there, and the fire has started to ebb, not yet taking on the monstrous form that it is on the first floor. A couple people have passed out from smoke inhalation, and Chanyeol shoulders their bodies to pass to someone at the back of the line to carry outside. His thigh muscles ache from having to walk around with all of this heavy equipment, from walking upstairs and squatting to lift limp bodies. His eyes are burning, from the ash and the tears that have been threatening to spill out since he gave up counting casualties. A couple men behind him start coughing a little too wetly, but their tanks can still sustain another hour, so they soldier on.

On the fourth floor, Chanyeol’s vision finally clears up a bit. There’s a dense cloud of smoke that’s taken over the surface area, but it’s nothing too bad. The oxygen he’s breathing in is filtered and pure, so he’s not too worried about smoke inhalation at this stage. 

Nobody’s on the fourth floor, having the good sense to try and get as low to the ground as possible before the door handles became too hot to grab at. Chanyeol’s hands are sweating profusely inside his gloves, his axe getting heavier and heavier the longer he holds it, and he feels the exhaustion start to set in. He knows his teammates are in a similar state.

Maybe that’s why they didn’t know until it was too late.

He hears a hesitant, “hey, what’s that?” before everything blows up. Literally. There’s an explosion right next to Chanyeol, the impact sending him flying across the room, right out the window. He feels glass shattering around him, vaguely hears screams of terror. His stomach drops as he falls, but he feels weightless in a sense.

And when his body hits the ground, there’s another explosion before everything goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please please PLEASE be patient with me and don't hate me!!! the last chapter is a big boy and it's going to take some time to get through all of it, plus with my other ongoing fics in progress, it might be a hot minute before i can update. it won't take nearly as long as it did for this one though, so there's that.


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